Destiny Part 2
by Stormy Grey Skies
Summary: The Oracle, The Probe, The Shield, The Sword, The Arrow, and The Bow. All part of a single destiny. All alone in their own ways, they will meet, and form unbreakable bonds. They are the most powerful of their kind, the only hope of many. They just don't know it yet. If you haven't read Part 1, I suggest you do that first.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_**I thought it was obvious. Your gifts have appeared. This makes things **_**much _more interesting!_**

_My eyes wide, I turned to Jas, who didn't seem to realize he was emitting his emotions until he felt mine. I'm guessing that's what happened, at least, because he started again and turned to me. I couldn't help myself; I started laughing. We knew what was happening from the rainbow fog, as I would forever call it. So we weren't all that freaked out, just surprised, maybe marveling at this new part of ourselves. We'd seen Edward and Alice work their powers, but this was different. We'd had it before, but not in this life, so to experience it firsthand felt crazy. Jasper joined in my laughter, the emotions coming from him changing to a giddy sort of humor._

_Yeah, I thought to myself. _

_This does make things more interesting._

* * *

We calmed ourselves down, wiping tears of laughter from our eyes. I recalled all my previous experience with my gift and managed to get the shimmery layer of whatever backs into my head. Jasper calmed himself down and got a handle on his emotions, which stopped his projecting. If I remembered my stuff correctly, he actually usually could only project when he was trying to, unless his emotions got the better of him. I checked to make sure Em and Rose weren't affected, but aside from sleepy grins, they seemed too out of it to really experience anything.

We sat together, thinking of the past and how to understand our gifts better. I kept going back to my past life, as I had been the closest to having everybody therefore gaining more knowledge about this weird juju. It was also the clearest; the farther back the life, the more blurry and hard to remember.

I didn't exactly delve in, as that would cause unwanted side effects, but I did skim across the surface, like a collection of little thumbnails of video and sound. It was kind of cool. It was really cool.

Wait. Doesn't this mean I can copy gifts if I want?

_Well, it depends. Ugh, here we go again. I would so ditch if I could. Anyways, you're still human, so the gift isn't as powerful. So you might not be able to do all the things you could as a vampire, or just not as well or as thoroughly. Whew, at least that one was a shorter one._

But I should still try, stretch my limits, develop the power, experiment, and try it out, right?

_Sure, I guess. Actually, that's a good idea. If you develop it more as a human, then when you are Changed, it could make you more powerful._

I'm glad you agree. But, seriously, you talk about my Changing into a vampire as if it's inevitable. Isn't there the chance that I remain human? I mean, nothing against being a vampire, but I'm perfectly happy being mortal right now. Isn't it ultimately my choice, up to me?

_The reality is you probably will end up a vampire, sweetie. Of course you think you're fine now, but wait until vampirism. You get a whole bunch of upgrades. I guess it is your choice, technically, but from what I know, it's your destiny to be a vampire. Especially now that you've met your friends and will meet Pete and Char again soon. Oops. Wasn't supposed to say that bit. Anyhow, it could be that you meet some hungry vamp and they Change you, in which case it'd be their choice. Who knows?_

Wait, did you say that I'm gonna see Pete and Char soon? When? How? What do you mean?

_Like I said, I wasn't supposed to tell you that part. Let's just leave it be, 'kay? I've said too much already…_

Fine. I'm only letting this go because I'll get it out of you eventually.

_No comment._

But isn't that a comment?

…

Okay, nothing?

_Give me time to think of a good response, okay? Sometimes my genius takes a while to kick in. _

Uh-huh.

_Oh, don't pretend like you can always automatically think of a comeback. I live in your head, remember? I know the truth._

Uh-huh.

_What? No! Shut up!_

Uh-huh.

_Okay, I know you're trying to annoy me, but it won't work, so shut up!_

Uh-huh.

_You know what? I'm just going to be the better person…voice…whatever I am…and step away from the situation. Metaphorically, of course._

Uh-huh.

_Grrr._

I contained a laugh. Usually Skydd was the one annoying me, now the tables were turned, I gave her a taste of her own medicine, and all that. I'd have to say it was much more fun being on this end. This was very entertaining. I might have to antagonize her more often…

_Don't even think about it, buddy._

Uh-

_-And if you say uh-huh again, I will…I will…do something…sabotage you in some way with my hold over your mental faculties! Ha!_

Uh-huh.

I heard Skydd snarl in frustration, then retreat back into my mind. Again, mental laughter. But soon, I grew curious about my gift and tried to test it out again. From what I could gather, the shimmery, vibrate-y bit was my physical shield. But what about mental? I searched my mind and came up with an interesting part of it. There was a veil, kind of, or a thin bubble. It was transparent and gossamer, but felt surprisingly sturdy. I tried my best to expand it, and while it leaped over around Jasper with little effort, I couldn't get it to grow any larger. I grew frustrated, and put that aside, deciding that I wouldn't get anywhere further with that right now.

I heard Edward and Alice's footsteps start over, and frowned. The clock showed that it wasn't time for rotation yet…oh. Edward had been expanding his radius, and found that he could dim the thoughts in his head so it didn't bother him too much, but he could also tune into a specific person like a radio channel. His radius was big enough to cover the whole house now, and since he could deal with it and tried to give us as much privacy as possible, he didn't feel the need to try to shrink it. So when my shield cut Jasper's thoughts off, he must've felt the absence. While Jasper's mental voice was still quieter, Edward apparently tuned in more subconsciously since they were brothers. Mine was still silent, and now I knew why. Curiously, when Em and Rose were like this, if Edward tried to tune in to them, he'd just get some weird feedback mixed with white noise and confusing bits and pieces, as we'd discovered earlier.

Poking their heads in to make sure we were alright, Edward and Alice looked relieved that we were.

"Hey, sorry, it's just, Jasper's thoughts…" Eddie seemed confused and slightly worried, still.

"My fault. Our gifts kicked in and I was experimenting." We'd explained our past-selves' and now our present-selves' gifts as best we could to everybody after the ordeal with James and Victoria.

"Congratulations! Now Emmett has to stop calling us the Magic-kids. That was so annoying." Alice rolled her eyes at Emmett, who was still unconscious on the floor. As if on cue, his nose twitched. I stifled the urge to laugh, again unnecessarily. Huh. Am I really going to be this easily amused?

_Well-_

Don't. Just don't. That was a rhetorical question.

_Oh, so you're allowed to annoy me, and I'm not allowed to annoy you?_

Uh…yeah…I would like it that way…

_Too bad. I'll let it go this one time, but don't expect it in the future._

I know.

We spent the rest of the time waiting for our currently unconscious friends to wake up by experimenting with our individual gifts. Mostly Jasper's, and mine since they were the newest. Jasper would try to influence Alice and Eddie-boy, and I would try to block them. Sometimes, though, Jasper would subtly change their emotional states and see if they could tell the difference. He wanted to be able to make his synthetic emotions feel as natural as possible in case he needed to sneakily influence anybody in the future. It took him a few tries, but soon, he could slowly manipulate their emotions without them even knowing. Which made for some entertaining scenes. I also played a bit with my physical shield, noticing that I could make the shimmery bit disappear for more covert mojo. I could seal it close to somebody like a second skin, and even use it to lift or trap people. The latter had a weird effect on my perception, like the world was vibrating a little.

Remembering that bit from my most recent life, I felt assured. That aspect was still there, although I couldn't do it as easily as I had before. I could only lift things at most only a slightly heavier than I could in real life, although it seemed people were easier than objects. It made me feel slightly woozy afterwards, and I learned not to strain myself too much or I'd exhaust myself. I didn't push myself, realizing this fairly early on. I was still left feeling the effect of lethargy, even if it wasn't too bad.

It was a little after midnight when Rose started to stir, coming up slowly and looking a bit confused for a second before sitting up. She looked at Emmett lovingly, then at the rest of us. Blinking, she just kind of sat there until Emmett emerged. Unlike Rose, he sat up suddenly, eyes snapping open. They grinned at each other, kissed, then surprisingly broke apart and looked at us.

"So…what's up?" Emmett grinned, before twitching, his eyes going blank. He shook himself out of it, though, and remarked, "Whoa. That whole merging-personalities thing takes some getting used to."

Rose nodded. She seemed focused on keeping herself on track. I sympathized with them, remembering how my thoughts had run off in all different direction, many foreign and not what I would normally think, at all. The patterns and personalities were different. In fact, they were still a little off sometimes, another lasting effect of James and Victoria's horribleness. But Alice and Edward had merged completely and successfully, so Em and Rose should be fine, soon.

We didn't get much sleep that night, filling each other in on what had happened in that period of time. Em did indeed pout at the loss of the moniker for Edward and Alice, but quickly got to work thinking of something for all four of us. That little bit of normalcy got us all more relaxed, spending the night both talking and laughing, only a little off put by the brief lapses in Rose and Em's personalities.

That morning at school, we were all tired. To compensate, we were all a bit grouchier, touchy, and snarky. To put it simply, we weren't very social.

Of course Lauren picked that day to make another attempt at bugging us. Which, to say the least, didn't go very well for her. Again, we were at lunch, although we weren't eating very much. Em was asleep on the table with his arm serving as a pillow, and the rest of us were not far off, although Jasper and I still tried our best to stay vigilant. Our gifts had taken a lot out of us, though, and while we made sure it didn't affect our ability to perceive immediate threats, I wasn't as aware of the entire room as I would've liked. All the same, I spotted Lauren coming as soon as she got up, groaning and putting my head in my arms. It already took a lot of my restraint not to hit her, knock her out, or kill her as is. Her seeking us out when I was particularly cross was not going to help my restraint. I calmed myself, but still found my mind slipping into a darker frame.

Jasper sighed, as well, since Mike had found the need to try and flirt with me since his stepbrother had started officially dating me. He also tried it with Alice. . Edward scrubbed his face when he saw her posse heading this way. Rose had fallen half asleep, tucked into Emmett.

Obviously trying to take advantage of our sleepiness, Lauren tried, once again unsuccessfully, to assert her dominance. "Like, I can see that you're tired, so I'll take it easy on you bitches. Admit that I'm Queen around here, and stop tricking these hot pieces of meat into liking you, like however you're doing it. Then, like, I'll leave you alone, and when you go all boo-hoo at totally becoming even bigger losers than you are now, I'll let you, like, join in with the other losers, so you'll at least have a few, like, friends." The nasal quality of her voice and her orange skin irritated me even more than normal, but I managed to stay where I was and not even give her a verbal lashing. That had to win me some kind of restraint award, right?

Lauren looked offended at being so easily ignored and dismissed, so her followers filled in the silence of her shock.

Mike crouched at the end of the table, between Alice and me. He made a pointed effort to check us out as obviously as possible, raking his eyes over our bodies. I felt dirty, and not in a good way, either. I wanted to take a shower, just to wash off his gaze. Seriously, he was even more repulsive to me than James. Jasper's jaw was turned to steel, again, and even Edward drew Alice in closer to his side.

He turned to face me first, laying on a creepy smile and waggling eyebrows. "Hey babe, nice legs…what time do they open?" I willed myself to stay silent. Jasper took a deep breath in, letting it out after five beats. Mike should've stopped there, but he kept going. "That's a nice shirt. Can I talk you out of it? I mean, I know milk does a body good, but damn girl! How much do you drink?"

I turned to him with my iciest glare and made sure to speak slowly and clearly so he could understand. "I won't go out with you, Mike. Ever. Much less sleep with you. You disgust me. And you should probably stop trying to flirt with me, pathetically by the way, before either Jasper kills you or I do."

Mike's slimy grin faltered for a second. His eyes snapped over to Jasper, who was giving him a death glare. Wisely, he backed off, although dumbly, he turned his attention towards Alice.

"Were your parents thieves? 'Cause someone stole the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes." Alice gave him a look that clearly told him she was freaked out and the opposite of interested. It was the same look I'd seen her give the nasty guy's bathroom down the hall. Mike, however, didn't seem to take the hint. Or maybe he ignored it. With a glance at Edward, he stepped up his nonexistent game. "When God made you, he must've been showing off. I'm convinced I'm in heaven, because I'm talking to an angel."

Edward ground his teeth together and Alice looked so repelled she couldn't figure out how to say it. Luckily, she settled for just getting up with her lunch and moving all the way to the other end of the table. Edward followed her, but not without shooting one more nasty look Mike's way. He wasn't usually as…male, I guess…as Jasper and Emmett were, but that didn't mean Mike trying his miserable best to get in his girlfriend's pants didn't piss him off. Mike looked a little rebuffed, but quickly put on his stupid persona again, making the universal 'call me' sign at the both of us before getting up and rejoining Lauren and Jessica. Jessica was staring longingly at Mike, although I personally found no reason she should find him attractive. But that was just me.

I guess, objectively, he wasn't _bad_ looking. He was on the football team, and didn't have bad acne or skin problems or anything like that. His eyes were blue and his hair blonde, although he put way too much gel into it for my liking. While he still had baby fat clinging to his cheeks, he was focused solely on sex. To average high school runner-up prom queens like Jessica, I suppose he could be appealing. Too bad he was in the running for Most Likely To Catch An STD, only second to Lauren. Also, too bad he was a 'player', and probably only had sort-of feelings for Lauren, at his most attached to a girl. Poor Jessica. Always a follower, and never quite as popular as Lauren. Of course, I didn't sympathize with her in the least much less pity her. Pity is a horrible emotion, and I know I wouldn't want anybody to pity _me._ I did, however, understand her reasoning a little more, and I did lessen my hate towards their collective group to mostly just Lauren and Mike.

Lauren, mistakenly taking a cue from Mike, tried for the umpteenth time to flirt with our guys. After being turned down quite clearly from each male, and subjected to us females' iciest glares, she finally got the hint. Normally, that would've been it, but she had the nerve to try and 'diss' us with one more comment.

"God, you bitches. No wonder your parents don't love you, I mean like, you're so unlovable I bet you'll end up, like, completely alone. And Rose, I heard your mom, like, died, and if I was her, I would've like, done the same just to get away from, like, you. No wonder she worked so much, like, when she was alive and stuff." She sneered at us, making her appear even more like a demented rat dipped in way too much suntan oil and stuffed into clothes too small and not at all weather-appropriate.

After everything, that was the last straw.

Rose's temper immediately flared, after the initial shock and flash of grief wore off. She rose, all but vaulting over the table, and punched Lauren straight in her plastic nose. Mike and Jessica made the mistake of trying to step in and help their ringleader, but by that point I'd knocked both of them onto their backs. By the hollow sound it made, Mike's head hit the ground pretty hard, which was _totally_ by accident. Note the sarcasm. Rose was still punching Lauren, trapping her legs so the faker girl couldn't even try to escape. Lauren was crying, but she wasn't bleeding too badly yet, so I didn't see the need to step in. That may have been my anger talking, but at that moment I didn't much care.

It was only when the crowd of students gathering around started growing large, then parting slowly for a teacher that I pulled Rose off of her, whispering in her ear to calm her down. Lauren wasn't worth getting thrown out of school. Her stupid words really hit a sore spot in my friend, and probably against her will, tears started streaking down her face as she tried weakly one last time to get out of my grip and bash in Lauren's skull some more. Alice was at her other side, comforting her. I tried my best to do the same, but like I said before, I'm not so good with crying people. The teacher had arrived on the scene by then, and with a inward groan, I realized it was Higgle-whatever, the teacher who hated me the most.

"What? What is this? Wha-Ms. Swan!" oh, so she's spotted me. This should be good. "I should've known it was you, such a troublemaking delinquent! Constantly disrupting my class, correcting me with that snarky tongue of yours. Of course you're the one responsible for this…this…this…_unacceptable_ _behavior_! I shouldn't have expected anything less from you and your smart mouth! I hope you don't think you're getting away with it this time, young lady, because the principal is going to suspend you for weeks! At least! Maybe I'll finally be rid of you, preying on innocent students like Lauren. Are you okay, dear? I'll get you to the nurse after I've dealt with Ms. Swan, here." She then proceeded to drag me, just me, off in the direction of the main office.

She maintained a vice grip on my arm, not bothering to ask for my side of the story, or any other side than the one she'd formulated in her mind. She muttered under her breath to me the entire time, condescending and unnecessarily critical comments that had my anger stewing in the pit of my stomach. She might be a teacher, but some of the things she said certainly _weren't_ teacherly.

Weren't good teachers supposed to listen to all sides of the story and be fair, reasonable, and calm? She obviously missed that part.

When we arrived, she had to let go of my arm to talk to the secretary. Good for her, too, because a few more of those snide insults and I would've gotten physical, not even caring about the repercussions. And in the mood I was in, she would've needed a miracle.

I massaged my arm as I waited for the principal to see me. I actually wasn't all that concerned. Principal Buchar and I were actually on fairly good terms. This wasn't the first time this particular teacher had tried to pin something on me without any proof. He had dealt with this situation before when I'd been framed for many a prank or small-time vandalism. Didn't she know that if I was going to vandalize, it would be much more destructive?

Finally, he called me into his office. I strode over to his door on the right, and smirked to myself when he instructed the harpy-lady who I had the misfortune to call teacher, to wait at the door. He then proceeded to gesture for me to have a seat in front of his kidney-shaped desk while he strode over and closed the door, lowering the blinds for good measure.

"So," he started, his face mildly concerned, "I heard that you assaulted a student named Lauren and her two friends, Mike and Jessica. Now, I am well aware, as you know, that Ida seems to…jump the gun a little, when it comes to things you may or may not be involved in, so I wanted to hear your side of the story." He signaled for me to speak.

I tried my best to look as wrongly accused as possible. While it was true that I was framed, I usually instinctually masked my emotions, except for when I was reacting strongly. Therefore, if I didn't make an actual effort in this situation, I'd look pretty impassive. And that might make me seem guilty. Putting a large amount of fake stress and earnestness into my voice, I made sure to look him straight in the eyes, again so as not to look guilty while taking in my surroundings like I usually did.

"I don't know why she was so mad at me…I didn't…they tripped, and then she was being so mean, and I just…" I paused here, taking an artificial deep and calming breath. I made sure my voice was still just slightly shaky, though. "Well, as you know, Principal, Lauren seems to have some kind of grudge with me. I don't know why, I just…I try my best to be nice to her, but she…she says the most hurtful things to me and my friends. One of my friends, Rose, well, she recently suffered a loss, and we're all trying our best to be there for her, so naturally we feel very protective, and when Lauren implied that her mother died to get away from her, we all got very upset. Rose was crying, and Lauren just seemed happy that she managed to hurt her and…well, I'm afraid I might have snapped." Okay, now that I took responsibility, I should really play the role of the apologetic but responsible teen girl who regrets her actions.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it, and I know it was wrong, but I was so protective, and I'm so sorry. And then Mike and Jessica fell when they went to help her, and I realized what I was doing, and is Mike okay? I hope he is, his head made a pretty scary sound, I hope he's okay. I'm so sorry, Principal, sir, and I know I was wrong, and I'm willing to take all the blame and whatever consequences you think are fair. I accept them, and I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. Just please, don't punish my friend Rose for my actions, I don't know what I would do if I hurt somebody else…I'm so, so sorry." I looked down, even managing in a few fake sobs into my hands.

Principal Buchar came over and patted my shoulder, with a sympathetic look on his face. Good, he bought it. Rose should be clear of any repercussions. Which was even better, because Lauren deserved it.

"I see. I can tell you know what you did was wrong, and you regret your mistake, which is very good, Ms. Swan. I also know that you had to miss a few days of school last year because you were being treated by a psychologist for traumatic events that happened when you were younger. I have some notes that say you form very deep attachments as a result, and are expected to be very reliant on and protective of your friends, as well as loyal. It even says that if you are away from them for too long, especially Mr. Whitlock, you could even have panic attacks and breakdowns." I knew those forged notes would come in handy sometime. "All things considered, it was very understandable that you would defend your friend from bullying, even if I disapprove of the physical way you had to handle the confrontation. However, since you understand and regret the things you did wrong, I will be sure to take that into account when thinking of a fair consequence."

I smiled secretly into my hands, under the guise of more sobbing. Looking up at him, I made sure I looked relieved and grateful, but also still a little regretful. "Thank you, sir, I appreciate that very much. I am very, truly, deeply sorry for my actions."

He smiled understandingly at me, and that was when I knew I had him, hook line and sinker.

As I left the office to rejoin my friends at lunch, I saw Principal Buchar seemingly scolding my 'teacher' for jumping to conclusion and overreacting rashly, and that was just the topping to the cake. I also passed a shaken-looking Mike and Jessica and a bleeding Lauren on the way back, and I smirked tauntingly at her. I recounted all this for said friends as soon as I rejoined them, where Rose had recovered and everybody was assuring her that her reaction was understandable, and Lauren was absolutely lying. She already harbored some guilt, thinking that if she had been a better daughter, her mother wouldn't dove into her work so much, and wouldn't have been one of the only ones in her office that Sunday when the disgruntled ex-employee came in with a gun and nothing but blind rage in his head.

Rose looked at me, saying, "You didn't have to take responsibility for that, Izzy. I was the one who punched her, I should suffer the consequences."

Smiling good-naturedly, I assured her, "Don't worry about it. Lauren deserved it, I mean, I would've done much worse if you didn't. Besides, this way I could talk Buchar into giving out a lighter punishment. Plus, this way that teacher that has it out for me even more than the others got a stern scolding. Remember the excuse I gave for our absence at school after the whole James and Victoria thing? I knew that would come in handy later on."

She smiled, giving me a hug, which was rare for Rose to do, especially in public. We both weren't very overly touchy-feely or affectionate. Except with our respective boyfriends.

Alice spoke up then, while squirming her way into our hug. "She's right. Lauren did deserve it. Even I was going to punch her in her lying mouth. You just beat both of us to it."

The guys all nodded in agreement, Emmett stealing Rose away from our embrace to envelop her in one of his signature bear hugs. He then kissed her, reassuring her over and over until he was satisfied that she was okay and wouldn't take Lauren's words to heart. Rose gave him a smile so filled with love that it was almost blinding, and the thought made my own heart warm. I looked at Jasper, giving the couple their privacy, and he smiled back at me. I don't know about him, but I was thinking once again, how lucky I was to have such close and healthy relationships with my friends. Well, that and how much I'd like to bash in Lauren's face, too.

_That's more like the Izzy I know._

Hello, Skydd.

_Oh? You're actually being nice and polite? You must really be feeling that warm and fuzzy. I mean, your replies are only one or two words, too._

I am.

_Well, then. I don't really know what to do. Normally, I annoy you for fun, but if you don't react, then it's not fun anymore._

Oh?

_Yeah. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I could compliment you._

On what?

_Your persuasion skills. On Principal Buchar. Pretty good, Izzy, even I have to admit._

Thanks.

_Yeah. Oh, and another thing. Since I'm being nice._

Yes?

_Earlier? When I accidentally let it slip you'd be seeing Pete and Char soon?_

Uh-huh…

_Well, you have to go to them. I have the address, and you have to go soon. Like, this weekend during break. By the way, how do you feel about a road trip to Texas?_

WHAT?

* * *

**AN/: I FINALLY GOT MY POWER BACK! YEAH! I'M ACTUALLY WARM! Anyways, I hope you liked the first chapter...thanks to all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I looked at my email alerts, and was all like, "WHOA!" Which is usually a good thing. Hehe. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

My friends had similar reactions when I informed them.

"WHAT?" rang out almost simultaneously once I got the opportunity. Faces of astonishment and general surprise were abundant, and I couldn't blame them. I mean, I'd only just got the news myself. Apparently, it was necessary that this weekend we head out on a road trip to Texas. So we can spend our break reuniting with friends we'd had during our past lives but had never actually met in this one yet. Vampire friends. Who may or may not recognize us, and are hopefully still alive in the same life. Or…vampire existence. And that will somehow benefit all of vampire-kind by somehow paving the path to us overthrowing some kind of oppressive, corrupt reign that nobody has been able to defeat for literally lifetimes.

Wonderful.

"And to think, I was actually planning to stay in with Rosie and make out all week long," mourned Emmett, shaking his head playfully. Rose just rolled her eyes and smacked him equally playfully. Her small and slightly lustful grin had me smirking, though. He was the only one who could get away with calling her Rosie.

"Do you know why, exactly, this is necessary? I get that it's urgent, but do we get to know the reason we're taking a road trip halfway across the country?" Rose asked after her exchange with Emmett.

I just shrugged. Skydd was obviously still holding out on me with the information we wanted, and unlike her usual chatty self, she wasn't budging.

"Does it have to be a road trip? I'm not up for four days of driving. Maybe just a road trip to the airport?" Alice suggested. The rest of us looked around the table, before all agreeing. Emmett wanted to get at least some of the road trip experience, though, so we'd be heading to an airport a little farther away. Half a day, maybe. It was the only way to keep him from giving us hell about it afterwards.

Jasper looked equally surprised, but also happy and a bit more accepting. Playing with the fingers of the arm he had slung over my chair casually, I allowed myself to feel happy, too. From my memories of Pete and Char, I would greatly enjoy meeting them, or reuniting with them, whichever. I really missed them. While I did find it a little strange to miss people I hadn't met yet, at least in this lifetime, I had gotten used to the weird juju slightly over time.

I mean, I had a weird bubble/shield I could surround myself with and a voice that gave me advice in my head and antagonized me more often then not. Not to mention my boyfriend could feel and influence your emotions, and two of my best friends could see the future and read minds. That was _not_ including the whole thing from our pasts and the fact that we could remember our pasts from lives we'd lived before. Yeah. We were definitely not your normal group of kids eating in a high school lunchroom. Unless you go to a really weird school.

But it had been made pretty clear that we needed to get to Texas soon, so we all kind of accepted it and started making plans. Just because this trip was demanded of by the weird juju didn't mean it couldn't be enjoyable.

We'd be taking multiple cars to the airport, since we all needed our space every now and then. Our exact route was determined via smartphones and various online maps. Parents and guardians were informed with text messages, and since we didn't get enraged phone calls back, we assumed they were pretty okay with it. Which wasn't much of a surprise considering Em, Rose, and I didn't have parents or guardians. Also, Edward and Jasper's mother had been completely absorbed into the Newton idiocy, unfortunately, and Alice's mother had to work anyways. I guess she figured her daughter would be better off going on a trip with her friends than alone at home. Which was correct. Mrs. Newton had been conditioned into accepting Mike as her real child and kind of forget about her own sons, which was horrible but had also been dealt with.

We'd do all the rest after school was over. I'd be paying for the tickets, although some of the guardians insisted on chipping in. It was fine with me. Apparently, I still had a few active bank accounts from my last life, and I was not going to be running short on funds anytime soon. I still couldn't really believe this was happening.

_Oh no! It's all happening so fast! How can I ever keep up? Is that what you were going to keep going on like?_

No. You know my personalities still take off every now and then. I'm now forced to believe that along with the cheesy romantic, I was also a drama queen in a past life.

_You didn't have to live with that girl every day. Man, am I happy she was one of the ones who died young._

Harsh. But, I guess I can agree. She seems very irritating.

_See? That's why I'm glad you're…never mind._

Aw. Were you about to say you're glad that I'm me this time around?

_No…not exactly._

Well. I'm glad you feel that way.

_Oh God, promise not to get all mushy on me again. I can't deal with that for the rest of eternity._

Eternity?

_Well, okay, maybe not eternity, but let's just say it's going to be a while. A long while._

Okay then. Maybe I should go skydiving…

_Don't push it. It'd be just my luck to finally get this moving pretty far just to have you cut your fate short by jumping from a plane._

Heh. You so care.

_I do not._

Yep. Admit it. You care about me.

_No, I…just…care about the big, fate-changing thing you're destined to accomplish._

Suuuuure….

_Don't sound so knowing! There's nothing to know, I just…I….sigh. I'm just going to shut up now._

Wise move.

"ROAD TRIP!" I sighed, amused. Leave it to Emmett to lighten up the weirdness of this trip by imitating all those stupid movies. I finished up loading a yellow suitcase into the thankfully spacious trunk of one of our chosen cars. Wow, Alice does not travel light.

Jasper put in the final black and dark-pink-almost-red suitcase in on the other side. At least Rose didn't pack _as much_ as Alice. She still had more than I thought a person needed, though. I mean, Skydd told us we'd be travelling during break, so it was pretty okay to assume we'd be back before school started, right? Nine days is not a multiple-suitcase worthy trip, right? I glanced at the closed trunk of my car, thinking of my carry-on-sized case, electric blue and black. I didn't think my small over-the-shoulder satchel counted as a case, right? Right?

Jasper hadn't known what exactly to pack, so I'd helped him. I hoped I'd given him the right advice…Em had Rose help him, and he ended up with one suitcase and one smaller one. Even Edward had a large case and he'd packed for himself. Of course, he also had a smaller one to fit in more of Alice's beauty stuff. I didn't know why she needed three suitcases for a week trip, especially since most of the stuff was things I didn't think we would need. Well, I guess she is the one who can see the future. But Rose didn't, and she had one large and one medium-bordering-on-large case. Which was more than Jasper's single black carry-on sized one.

Clothes, we could always buy in that case though, so I wasn't overly worried.

After running through the things we'd brought one last time, we decided to recheck our route. We weren't exactly sure what kind of situations we had to plan or pack for, but we did our best to cover all our bases. As for our route, it was pretty much the most straightforward and quick way we could find, although Em had done his best to convince us to stop by some attractions. I didn't even know how he knew all the attractions from here to the airport. We'd managed to compromise by telling him that if we had time on our way back, we could stop by one or two.

"Alright. I guess we're all set. So, the most alert person drives the lead car, with one other companion to keep them company. Jasper and I will go first. The others follow in the second car, and every time we need to stop we call someone who isn't driving, which is what the companion is for. Otherwise, we go for as long as we can. It should only take about half a day. We need to make good time, but we also don't want to get into a crash. So if you feel like you are tired, do not drive, are we clear?" I made sure to make my words firm. I didn't want to jeopardize our safety any more than necessary. It would be fate's joke to put us on the route to meeting with a couple of vampires and more supernatural danger, only to have us die in a car crash. Or an airplane crash, but it wasn't like we had much control over that.

After their agreements, we climbed into our respective cars and headed out. I hit shuffle on my iPod, gave Jasper a kiss for no reason except that I wanted to kiss him, and drove.

Our fun banter and conversation lapsed into comfortable silence, interrupted with a joke or two from one of us. His hand rested casually on my thigh, making that comforting feeling I always got when we made physical contact spread through my body. I felt warm and content. Kind of like I was hugging a ray of sunshine on a bed of cloud cotton candy.

Okay, so Jasper may have been cycling our emotions through the car. Who needs drugs when you've got an empath, right?

Right after that amusing thought, Jasper's phone went off. The atmosphere in the car subsided a little, returning me to emotional reality. Jas sent me a wink and took the call. Even though I could only hear one side of the conversation, I knew it was Em.

"Hey. Okay. No. I don't care how badly you want to, we are not going to see how many places we can get kicked out of in a row. Iz is on my side. She's not going to let you…what? No. I don't think Rose would even want to…see? Okay. That's it. No, you can't try to buy the slushy machine. Because that's not reasonable, that's why. Okay, fine tell everyone I said hi back. No, I will not let you…no. I'm hanging up now. Don't. Okay." Hanging up, Jas leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed.

"Well, that sounded like an interesting conversation." I glanced at him briefly, before returning my eyes to the road. He tapped his fingers on my leg for a second, before gently squeezing to show he knew it was my way of asking if he was upset.

"Yeah. No. It was just Em being Em. I just don't know why he thought we'd be able to haul a full-size functional slushy machine to Texas and back. By the way, they want to stop at the next gas station." His tone showed exasperation, but also amusement. I was just glad he wasn't pissed.

I nodded to show I'd heard. Last time he got frustrated with Emmett for taking a joke too far, Em moped about getting his ass kicked for a month. Seriously, whining and everything. Every. Chance. He. Got. Suffice it to say, it got old fast. I'm pretty sure Jasper almost kicked his ass again just to make him shut up. Actually, we were all pretty close to doing that. Jasper didn't get as fed up with Emmett as the rest of us, especially Edward, but it was impossible to not get that way sometimes.

At least it wasn't as bad as when they got in on something _together._ Jasper's strategy and perfectionist planning with Em's devious mind for pranks? Edward twitched any time he saw a small animal for a week. In fact, I'm pretty sure he gave himself a pathological fear of squirrels. It's best not to rethink that. Let's just say it involved hairspray, Play-Doh, fur, silly putty, and a fake tail. Also, some fake teeth and a pair of pants filled with pie toppings. Yeah…

I pulled up to the nearest gas station and parked, getting out to stretch and wait for our friends. I'd fill up the tank later, I _was_ getting a little low. Jasper got out too, rounding the car and giving me a solid kiss. I smiled against his lips and started to deepen it, when I heard Em pull up next to us, get out, and whistle loudly.

"Whoa there, I don't need to see that shit. Watching people make out is not a favorite pastime of mine. I don't enjoy that, and I wish I could block it out. Maybe brain-bleach myself any time I have to see other people make out. Of course, if Rose and Izzy were to make out a little, then it'd be a different story, but…" Waggling his eyebrows in a way that only Emmett knew how, he gestured between us females suggestively.

"Shut up, monkey man." Rose playfully snapped as she exited the car. She'd really loosened up in the past year. Of course, I think we all have, but that may just be the extra personalities rattling inside me.

"Oh, come on. That would be hot." Em gave her the puppy face, and gestured over to me playfully. "I won't stop bothering you about it until you do…"

After fake-considering it for a while, Rose laughed, then walked over and planted one firmly on my lips. It was barely a kiss, but it still had Em's jaw dropping. So, I pulled her in for a longer one, still fairly innocent but played up a bit.

"DAMN! I didn't think you'd actually do it! And then…she…and you…" His eyes glazed over for a second. I was slightly worried it was his personalities acting up a little while they settled in, but I shouldn't have been. "There. I just wanted to make sure I'd remember that one for a while," he stated with a satisfied smile. Edward and Alice were asleep in the backseat, so we filled our tanks and decided to stretch or legs a bit longer by buying some snacks from the gas station store. Apparently, both of them had a tendency to fall asleep quickly if they knew they were going to be in the car for a while.

Jas and I let Em and Rose go in first, but before I could go in, Jasper pulled me around the corner. He all but slammed me against the brick wall and started kissing me like there was no tomorrow.

I was initially surprised, but that was quickly dismissed. All my thoughts disappeared and all I could focus on was him. I mean, we'd had some pretty heated make-out sessions before, but it was almost like I wanted to climb into his skin this time. Instead, I settled for pulling him impossibly closer to me and fisting my hands in his hair. It was like a blind frenzy, fighting for dominance, all of that stuff. He shoved his tongue in my mouth, not asking for entrance like he usually did. I liked this new, wild and dominant side of him I'd only seen in my past lives. The hand on my jaw was rough and part way between firm and painful, and I couldn't decide which I wanted it to be. It only drove me…_more_, and I had to break apart for air.

I turned around, and flipped us so he was against the wall, devouring him as best I could. He let me set the pace for a while, before re-slamming my back into the brick, and taking control again. We were on fire, and I didn't care that we were up against a gas station store, I just wanted him _closer_.

Between gasps for air and rough and heady kisses, I managed to ask him for the reason behind the sudden urgency.

"Oh, God, you don't know what you do to me, do you?" he groaned out, before retaking my lips. One of my hands made its way from his hair to his chest, gripping onto his shirt like it was my lifeline. His hands were everywhere, his mouth was all that was in my mind, he was just…_everywhere._ That heady scent I'd always loved and associated with him, with safety, and with belonging, was filling my senses. His breath tasted like tobacco and mint, along with that special Jasper-ness. I think I knew _exactly_ what I was doing to him, I could feel…him…against my thigh.

"You're…_sigh_… smoking…._moan_…again?" I asked against his jaw. Trying to redirect my attention away from his…problem.

I don't know how he managed to hear me, but he responded between tiny kisses trailing down my neck. "Yeah. It helps…_groan_…with the stress. Personalities…_ugh_…clustering my mind." I smiled against his skin, glad I seemed to be affecting him as much as he was affecting me. "Less…talking…" he all but growled. I heartily agreed, my mind was already too frazzled, overwhelmed with _him._ I nipped the skin above his Adam's apple playfully, and the low groan from his throat spurred us on further. My leg got hitched up, and I rotated shamelessly against him, loving the tingly, electric feeling spreading through me. Somehow, his shirt came off, and both my hands were tangled in his blonde locks again. My tongue traced a silver-white scar on his bicep, as his hand on my hip started inching my shirt up.

We probably would've ended up fucking right there if Rose hadn't come out to see what was taking us so long.

"Whoa. I…whoa. You guys should probably cut that out. I mean...uh, doing it in public against a gas station wall? Big no-no." She awkwardly reached in and pulled me away, picking up Jasper's shirt and throwing it at him as we walked away. His groan of frustration matched mine at Mrs. Cockblock herself. She looked a little awkward, so I knew what was coming next. She was kind of like Em in the regard that she would try to diffuse a situation with a joke. In a whisper as soon as we were out of hearing range, she remarked, "Wow, Iz. Jasper without a shirt on? I see why you were all over him. I mean, Em has muscles, but he always ruins the mood. And, you know, I can see why they say lean and mean is the new buff. Plus, scars? Hot." She fanned herself melodramatically, and I just laughed and slapped her playfully on the arm. I was still kind of coming down from our little dry-humping session, and frankly I was feeling frustrated.

I was a hormonal teenager with several lifetimes of sexual memories. Staying a virgin was kind of not an issue. Mentally, I wasn't. Several times over. Physically, well…it's pretty hard to have sex when you have weird juju going on in your life and most of your friends are all bored and in the same house as you. Em had earned the official title of Master of the Cockblock, and he'd barged in on me and Jasper more times than I could count. From what I could tell, I had some of the mindset of a vampire, and vampires were horny little fuckers. Plus, there was the fact that Jasper was just so damn sexy it was hard to keep my hands off him. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything about it. Rose and Em had already done the deed. We were all warned by a sock on the door, something Em probably did. It seemed like something he would do, he probably got a kick out of it. I couldn't blame him, though. I'd been pretty close to doing the same just so my friends would get the hint. At this rate, I'd be ninety and still a virgin. Worse, Edward and Alice would finally do it and beat Jas and I to the punch. I was so frustrated with our friends constantly accidentally interrupting us that I'd entertained the idea of just kidnapping Jas and taking him to a cheap motel room.

Anyways, by now Rose had dragged me inside. When Em came over looking mildly concerned, Rose just smiled and told him, and I quote, "They were almost-fucking again." Em waggled his eyebrows at me, then went back to determining exactly what kind of jerky he wanted to buy.

A few moments later, the electronic bell thing attached to the door sounded, alerting us of Jasper's entrance. He looked just as frustrated as I was, as well as a little annoyed. Em went over to tease him about our sex life, or rather the unfortunate lack of one. Jas shot him a glare, and Em faltered for a bit, before approaching him anyways. The heat was missing from Jasper's glare, as that was saved for the people he really did dislike. Otherwise, Em probably would've kept silent. He still remembered how relatively quickly Jasper and I had rejoined them after taking care of James and Victoria. Em may act like a child sometimes, but he wasn't dumb. He could put two and two together. The truth was, Jasper was a freaking demon in a fight. In all of his lives. And, if memory serves, he was a pretty intimidating guy in most of them. Okay, all of the ones I could remember being a part of.

We left the store with snacks and a pouting Emmett. He was still upset about the slushy machine. He'd even hugged it, named it Marlene, and gave a tearful wave goodbye as we paid and left.

I could not take much more of this.

Thankfully, we only had a few more hours of driving ahead of us. A little over half the trip. Jasper offered to drive, and I let him. I could use the time to think. Thinking had become a big hobby in our group of friends. While their personalities were settled in better than me and Jas's, even Em and Rose who'd only just had their rainbow fog moment, having multiple lives still has a habit of making your mind stretch.

The hours passed by pretty fast. At one point Rose insisted on switching cars because Em was annoying her. That's how she ended up in the backseat while I was driving. That quickly changed to Jasper in the backseat pretending not to hear our girl talk, per our request. We didn't care if he actually heard it, just didn't want to acknowledge the fact. But then Em reclaimed Rose and it was just Jas and I again. We really enjoyed each others company and just talked, so it was like time flew. Before we knew it, we were pulling up at the airport. Alice, Rose, Jasper, and I had all flown before, but Edward and Emmett hadn't. Em was excited, slushy machine woes forgotten. He was practically vibrating with joy for this new experience. Edward, however, seemed a bit nervous.

"Edward, you'll probably fall asleep again. It's nothing to worry about." Alice comforted, apparently seeing the same thing.

"I know, it's just…a giant metal bird thousands of feet in the air? It sounds a little crazy, doesn't it?" He wiped his palms on his pants and grinned shakily. I found it reassuring that even with all the fears we could have about the supernatural future, you could still count on Edward to be anxious about something silly like an plane trip. Emmett missed out on this opportunity to do something he loved, teasing Edward, because he was busy staring excitedly out the glass window at the planes lifting off.

We went through baggage check, security, and all that with plenty of time to spare until our flight boarded. Jasper and I _did_ get detained for a while during security, and sadly I had a set of my good knives confiscated. Jasper lost one hunting knife, a razor blade hidden in the sole of his shoe, and a butterfly knife. They were wary about even letting us on the plane, until I convinced them we were just paranoid and outdooring enthusiasts. That also took some of Jasper's emotion mojo. Okay, a lot of it. Luckily, I nabbed some of the ones they'd confiscated before it wore off, so I didn't lose even more. I also did the same for Jasper, and commended myself for bringing some of my babies that were made of materials like porcelain that wouldn't set off a metal detector. When they scanned our bags, Jasper pretty much wore himself out for a while, feeding them emotions that made them flat out ignore the scans.

Our abilities did come in handy pretty often in normal, every-day situations. But I wanted to keep us from becoming too reliant on them. They had weaknesses, just like any gifts. For example, while in most combat situations it would seem Edward had the upper hand as he could read your next move from your mind, if you started operating on blind drilled-in instinct he couldn't get anything. I remembered how easy it would be for a vampire to evade his gift simply by making a part of their thoughts go off on meaningless stuff and he would pick up on it because his gift was only for the top level of consciousness. Em and Rose's gifts hadn't manifested yet, but I knew they were going to. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember their gifts without having to dive back in completely, and I didn't think the side effects were worth finding out just a bit early. Alice's gift was based on decisions and so could be evaded, although it was harder for a human. If the top level of your consciousness was decided to do something even though deep down you know you will 'change your mind' at the last second, she couldn't see it. Similar to Edward, if you were running on instinct she couldn't see it either. However, since she was still human and already actively searching the future and basically using her gift, as well as Edward, there was the possibility that they would grow and become harder to evade either as time went on or if they were changed.

Jasper's gift, as well as mine, was harder to evade even then simply because of the nature of them. Also, apparently because we had worked to develop them in most of our lifetimes, therefore inheriting a more developed gift to begin with and starting the cycle over again. But it could be done. Probably not by any human, but a vampire could. For instance, if their gift counteracted ours in some way. Or if their gift was to nullify others' gifts. In that case, my shield would protect me a little, but prolonged exposure would disable that aspect of my gift. And then once that was down, the other aspects would be nullified as well. As for Jas, he could manipulate their emotions if I were to shield him too or before they started using their gift. If their gift was the type that they were able to control, he would make them not want to use it on us. If it was involuntary, then we'd be fucked. Of course, he could always do the emotional overload thing that he'd used before in our last life. Basically, he just swarmed someone with powerful emotions, so much so that it overloads their senses. On humans he could knock out or even kill someone. On vampires, he could put them in a state similar to unconsciousness, where they were unresponsive to the outside world. But that wasn't the only way.

If you got enough people to feel rapidly changing emotions very strongly, there was the possibility that you would overwhelm Jasper's gift. Of course, it would have to be a _lot_ of vampires and _very_ strong, _rapidly_ changing emotions, because since he'd been in the Wars in our last life, he was already pretty good at handling many rapidly changing and overwhelming emotions. After all, that was a defining characteristic of baby vampires. Or, if you were a shield like mine, you could block the majority of his influence. Not all, though, as his gift was neither mental, physical, not even both. There was another thing to it, and it was hard for me to name.

As for my own, my previous selves had worked pretty hard on making my shields hard to beat, as well as the other things I could do. Since my entire gift was based around the concept of protection, it was harder to evade. I guess if you were another shield, or a gift similar to mine. Actually, Jas's empathy might also work. My shields seemed to be tied to my emotions fairly strongly, so if you could make me not put them up, either by blasting so much emotion it overcame my shields or making me not want to put them up in the first place if I had trusted you enough to not have them up automatically, then that might work. Huh.

_Okay, so you've been doing pretty well by yourself. And let me tell you, I am so glad I didn't have to say all that. But, it's not just coincidence that your gifts both compliment each other and could disable or evade the other. Mates are supposed to be the perfect match, and gifts are a part of who you are. Your gifts are also a perfect match._

Really? Interesting. But, what about Alice and Edward? They're also mates, right? Or Rose and Em?

_Yes, their gifts are a match, too. They both work on the top level of the consciousness as of right now, and you can't really see how they compliment and contradict because they are not as developed as yours and Jasper's. Well, ours and Jasper's. Actually, ours, Loki's, Jasper's, Major's, and the GOW's. Yeah. I'm just going to stick with referring to the multiple parts of us and Jasper as you and Jasper. And I'm not even going to start with the other past personalities. Thankfully, I've stayed the same, only evolving into having a voice and personality. I wouldn't want to deal with all those past people who are you but aren't you. That even confuses me. As for Rose and Em's gifts, you'll just have to see._

Okay, yeah that makes sense. But wait, I've wondered this for a while but never asked you. You know how you talk to me and keep me informed and such?

_Well, yeah. Of course I do. I'm the one doing it._

Yeah, okay. But does this Major character do the same with Jasper?

_Oh…I was wondering when you would ask that. Well, kind of. He's not as talkative as I am, and didn't decide to evolve a voice as much as I did. He will communicate certain things to Jasper when he needs to, but he usually depends on me to tell you all the stuff that doesn't pose a direct threat and aren't about him specifically. He knows that I'll tell you and you'll tell Jasper._

When you say 'evolve a voice', do you mean…?

_Well, okay, remember in your last life when I could hiss things in your mind and communicate animal-style? The Major's still kind of like that. He doesn't talk directly very much, and he's kind of a creature or a beast-type character._

Okay then. This is messed up.

_Yeah, we've pretty much established that. Can we move on now?_

Well, considering they just called for us to start boarding, we kind of have to. I stood up, my friends all gathering their carry-ons and starting to get up beside me. Reaching for the handle of my case, I temporarily freaked out before I looked and saw Jasper had it. Such a gentleman.

_In his last life, he grew up in antebellum times. So, yeah, he was raised to be a gentleman. If not as highly so as the Northerners, he did learn the basics. It must be that personality that's a bit more dominant in him right now._

Noooo. And I could so not have figured that out by myself. Thank goodness for your wise help.

_Okay, okay, I get it. Could you tone down the sarcasm now? It's getting suffocating._

Drama Queen.

_Huff. Don't forget, I_ am_ part of you._

Ignoring Skydd as I seemed to be doing a lot of, I gave Jasper a chaste kiss in gratitude and found a good spot near the gate. When he'd first started doing that kind of thing, carrying my stuff and opening my doors, I'd felt a little offended. Did he think that I couldn't do those simple tasks by myself? But then I understood that it was his way of showing me he cared. It was sweet. Unnecessary, but sweet.

The line in front of us grew steadily shorter, until we got to the gate. Alice handed the lady our boarding passes and stuff, and was about to take them when she caught sight of the guys. I knew what was coming next, and I rolled my eyes as she looked flustered and a blush crept up on her cheeks. She took the passes from Alice without looking at her. Instead, she was staring between Jas, Em, and Edward like she couldn't decide which one she wanted to fantasize about more. Maybe she was fantasizing about all three together.

Edward winced, then looked a bit uncomfortable, eyes shifting between the spot above Jas's ear and the spot above Em's head. From the way he was fidgeting nervously, I guessed that it was the latter. Jasper fought a smile, probably at both the lady's lusty emotions and Edward's uncomfortable ones. A beat later, Em caught on and started laughing silently, but managed to mask it by ducking his head. Rose moved slightly in front of him as if trying to block him from view which was slightly hilarious since he was so huge. Alice cleared her throat and tapped her fingers lightly on the desk, and the lady seemingly shook herself out of it, looked up at us again, blushed, and finally did her job. She looked embarrassed, at least, and handed the passes back to Alice without meeting any of our eyes.

I found it funny, although I did have just a twinge of jealousy. I fought it off though, and just laughed internally instead. At least she seemed ashamed, and like a decent person. I cast a glance at the other lady, who was in her mid-forties and still had two buttons undone on her top and bright red lipstick. I noticed the lack of a wedding band or a tan line on her left ring finger, as well as the overly done makeup which told me she was still pretending to be young. At least it wasn't her. That would've been gross.

Our seats were in clusters fairly close together. We didn't manage to get six seats all together, but we almost did. There were only two people who would separate us all, and we hoped that they'd be willing to switch seats with us so that we'd all be together. After we all got our carry-ons stowed, I claimed a window seat and waited for the two passengers to show up.

By the time the pilot came on and told us we were about to start moving, they still hadn't showed up. We decided to move up as it didn't seem like they were going to make the flight. We were right. Liftoff came, Edward's hands clenching the armrests while Em practically vibrated with excitement. Alice had placed calming hands on Edward's arm while Rose was staring at Emmett like she couldn't believe how excited he was. Jasper was reading the safety brochure again, just to make sure. I settled into my seat and popped in a piece of gum. I didn't usually chew gum, but it helped with the pressure in my ears. I studied Jasper's serious expression with fondness before unwrapping a second stick of gum and sticking it in front of his mouth. He willingly opened up to accept it and I popped it in. After a few chews, he smiled and sent some warm emotions my way.

The flight was pretty uneventful. Edward and Alice fell asleep again. Emmett calmed down a little and started making out with Rose until a flight attendant told them to cut it out. Jasper and I also had a little smooch fest, and he managed to deter a few flight attendants before he started projecting lust all around the plane.

The commercial cabin probably would've descended into a giant orgy if Edward hadn't woken up and fought the lust long enough to alert us of our surroundings. Jasper smiled sheepishly and quickly stopped projecting, which resulted in a lot of confused and embarrassed awkwardness among our fellow passengers.

We spent the rest of the flight joking around and generally having a pretty good time.

At one point, Emmett persuaded those of us with manifested gifts to try and do some 'cool shit'. Jasper spread the emotional equivalent of being both high and drunk at the same time around, and Edward held a conversation with him by reading what Em was going to say and responding without giving him the chance to actually say it. Alice used her feelings about the future to predict the moves of passengers who didn't think anyone was paying attention to them. For example, a guy two rows ahead of us and to the right was going to pick his nose. The woman three seats over was going to scratch her butt. The people in the couple in front of us were going to simultaneously cheat on each other, then end up liking it and having an open bed marriage. Stuff like that.

I managed to concentrate and levitate Emmett a few inches, not enough to rouse attention, but enough for him to silently freak out. I felt a little dizzy afterwards, and had to eat Jasper's in-flight bag of pretzels. Using my shield like that burned my fuel faster than jogging or any other kind of exercise. Similarly, using his power too much made Jasper feel weaker and tired or sleepy, and we all know how Alice's power can physically affect both her and Edward. Edward could get migraines or headaches if he strained himself too much. It was really because our gifts were better suited for vampires, and we were still human. Whatever Rose and Em's gifts turn out to be will probably affect them, too.

When we touched down in Houston, after waking up Alice and Edward and doing all the stuff that comes with getting off the plane, we stood in the middle of the airport looking around at each other and wondering where to go next. Skydd wasn't responding when I asked for specifics, and Jasper even tried asking the Major. We didn't get much useful information. So, we decided to explore a little and try to find out where we were supposed to go the old fashioned way.

"Yay! We get to play detective!" Emmett squealed, in a very un-Emmett like fashion. We all smiled, amused, and decided the first thing we had to do was find a hotel to ditch our baggage in. Luckily, up at the help desk they had a map with all the tourist-y places marked out helpfully. We walked to the nearest motel, got a suite, and dumped all our stuff there. Since we didn't know how long we'd be staying, exactly, and wanted to save money, we rented the suite for one night and decided we'd rent more rooms if the need arose. If it was only for a night, we could easily fit all of us in there. All the girls could sleep on one of the queen beds, and the dudes could share the other bed and the couch. Emmett's large frame would probably end up on the floor, since he assured us he was a very fussy sleeper. That would give Edward the bed, since he claimed it, and Jasper would get the couch. Apparently, the guys' just sharing a bed was a no-no. Maybe it was just as well. I wasn't too sure they'd both fit on there, if you allowed turning and rolling room. Especially because that would mean Edward's unconscious mind would get a front row seat to Jasper's dreams.

"So…" Rose started, as we all sat around in the room us girls had claimed. "What do you guys want to start with?"

Bad move. Alice's eyes immediately took on that frenzied look that meant she was going to make us do something that involved Rose and I becoming her Barbies. "Let's go check out the night life!"

I immediately started protesting, but she was ready with a good convincing argument.

"Before you say no, hear me out, okay? We don't have to go to just fancy clubs or anything like that, we can sneak into some bars or local hangouts and try to ask around to see if Peter and Charlotte go there. They hunt lowlifes, right? What better hunting ground than those seedier places?" She smiled triumphantly, already confident in her word power overcoming any reluctances we could voice. Sadly, she made sense. Plus, as long as she didn't drag us to too many nightclubs, I couldn't really say no.

Rose was first to agree, which meant Em was second. Edward just shrugged, and I reluctantly sighed my agreement. Jasper gave a nod, and crossed his arms. Alice also liked to dress up the guys, although she didn't usually go over the top.

"Great! Come on, Izzy, Rose! Let's go get ready!" She squealed, clapping her hands together. She then instructed Rose to start opening the cases to get clothing options, and started shooing/shoving the guys out. "I'll get your guys' clothes later, go do whatever guys do in their spare time!" Alice pealed while pushing Emmett out the door. I managed to steal one more kiss from Jasper before Alice pushed the door shut. I chuckled at her, thinking, _oh, typical Alice._ She shot me a mock-glare before pointing commandingly at the bed. I sat, following her unspoken direction.

"Okay," she stated while moving over to survey the different clothing items. "We're going to be going to a lot of different places, so we have to wear clothes that can work for varying environments. I know Izzy hates wearing overly feminine stuff, so to avoid her annoyance, I will take that into account. Rose, come and help me pick out your outfit." Rose obediently moved over and started looking through both mine and her clothes. Some of our clothing could be borrowed, even though we didn't have the same figure. We were similar enough that the more forgiving and universal shirts could go either way. Of course, she was taller than me, with a more model-like body. So, there was that. At least Alice said she was going to take my almost-pathological-fear of all things overly girly into account. I still remember when she forced me to wear a dress. Shudder. It had one of those flowy, poofy skirts with the layers, and what she referred to as an 'empire waist'. To me, it resembled those princess-y dresses just a little too much. I couldn't kick anyone's ass without either flashing someone, or looking absolutely ridiculous. And she wouldn't even let me strap a holster to my thigh, which to me was the only upside a dress/skirt could give. To hide my weapons. To make it worse, it had one of those ridiculous necklines that made it hard to hide weapons there, as well. At least it wasn't pink. It had been blue and green, but I had still felt utterly ridiculous. Not to mention I kept accidentally flashing people because I forgot to keep my legs crossed when I sat. Stupid Emmett, with his stupid dares, and his stupid bets. I still wasn't over it.

While I was tuned out and thoroughly lost in my recollection, I was as always aware of my environment. The only times I really and truly let my guard down seemed to be with Jasper, another reason why I had allowed myself to fall for him. If I already subconsciously trusted him that much, and we were clearly attracted to each other, why not?

So anyway, that was how I knew Rose was done. She stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door and examined her outfit. She had on a pair of dark jeans, which fit her like a second skin. Her light-colored top walked the fine line between slightly-dressy casual and club wear, which was the point. It seemed like a basic enough loose top, but there were some accents that kept it from being too casual. Alice had buckled a wide belt around Rose's waist, which put it a bit more on the club-y side, but if it was removed it could be casual enough. The neckline also helped, dropping low yet not exposing too much cleavage. She also had a red jacket and a color block tote bag, which was a bit less feminine than her top which helped to balance it out. At least, that's what I'd heard Alice muttering on about. I just thought she looked smokin' hot and could blend in as much as someone who looked like Rose could in many different venues.

Alice seemed to be going for a bit of a more art-student vibe. Her jeans were a bit lighter and boot-cut, which allowed her to wear her favorite pair of 'booties'. I didn't have any idea why they were called that. But they had heels that made me cringe, although Alice didn't seem to have a problem with dancing around as always in them. I couldn't tell what her top exactly looked like, but it seemed toned-down enough. She also had a jacket, although she'd put hers on over a flowy-type vest that didn't seem like it actually did much against the cold. She'd chosen to put on some gold-colored necklaces and random bracelets and stuff. The overall effect was nice and aesthetically pleasing. I thought she might be a bit too dressed up if we were going to go to a pub, but I figured it was alright. It was extremely casual, for Alice, especially if she was going out.

"So! What do you think? Obviously, we still have to fix our hair and makeup, but otherwise?" Alice asked me, with an expectant and beaming smile. I smiled back and nodded, knowing that if I responded verbally, I'd try to comment her on the details and end up further showing how much of a fashion noob I was.

Sadly, I knew what was coming next. Now that she and Rose were ready, they were going to focus their efforts on me. I sighed and gestured for them to go ahead and lay it on me. Alice beamed even brighter before pawing through my clothes, making disappointed 'hmph' sounds every now and then. Sometimes she would make a thoughtful noise instead, as if she were saying, _Well, I don't like it, but I guess it'll have to make do._

I decided I was bored. Stealing another glance at the preoccupied Alice and Rose, I got up as silently as I could. Usually that could be very silent, but the bedsprings were old and worn, therefore squeakier than I would've liked. Which meant I had to go slower than I would've liked just to prevent the noise from spoiling my plan. Keeping my movements slow and spaced farther apart than normal, I made sure they could be mistaken for normal fidgeting noises. When I reached the bedroom door, I coughed just loudly enough to cover the sound of the stupid knob. Looking back again to make sure neither had been too curious, and had been alerted by the cough, I slowly eased my way out and shut the door _oh so quietly_.

And I was pretty much in the clear. I walked soundlessly over to the guys, who were sitting on the couch and flipping through the TV channels that came with the room and apparently arguing half-heartedly over nothing in particular.

"I'm just saying, you know?" Em said, waving the hand holding the remote around in a small circle for emphasis.

"No, I don't know, Emmett. What are we talking about?" I butted in, sticking my head between Jasper and Emmett's. Jasper just smiled, amused, watching as Em flailed a little and theatrically whipped his head around to see me. I tried my best to look sweet and innocent, as he continued flailing. I even did the whole thing where you put the butts of your hands together, palms up and straight outwards to the sides and put your head slightly tilted to one side on them, like you see in the commercials.

When he'd gotten over being surprised, he relaxed back into the sofa with a relieved sigh. I swung myself over the back of the couch and landed precisely on the exposed bit between him and Jas. Jasper scooted over a little so I could have more sprawling-room, which he knew I liked. I stuck my legs onto his lap so I was kind of diagonally-positioned across the seat. He rested one hand on my knee and one on my thigh without complaint, as I leaned against Brother-bear, using his side as a backrest. Plucking the remote from his grasp, I went through a few more channels before settling on a decent one.

"Are Rosie and Alice done yet?" Emmett asked, using his special nickname for Rose that she only let him say. I shrugged.

"Well, they're trying to figure out what to dress me up in. I was getting really bored, so I snuck out when their backs were turned and came here. Oh, and they've still got to change their hair and makeup, apparently." I sighed after my explanation, knowing that soon I'd have to go back and actually put on the clothes they picked out for me.

The guys nodded their acceptance, knowing that only when Rose and Alice were satisfied with everyone's outfits, could we go out. It was still only about four in the afternoon, so we were okay on time. We watched some more TV in comfortable silence before I heard Alice's disgruntled voice calling for me.

"Welp. Looks like she found out I was gone. Gotta go, I guess." I sighed and launched myself up, taking my sweet time going back in to the lionesses' den. Metaphorically, of course.

After Alice chastised me slightly for sneaking away, she thrust some clothes at me and told me to change while she laid out the guys' outfits. Before she left, I asked her to make Jasper wear a tight-ish fitting shirt, and she winked at me and Rose before reassuring us she'd make all of our boyfriends look good. Of course, Rose yelled for her to make sure she didn't make them look _too_ good and make even more other girls stare at them all night as she was headed off. I silently agreed with her. I wanted to strangle enough females of varying ages daily as it was. That couldn't be a good thing.

I squinted my eyes at the clothes she picked out, trying to figure out if there were any hidden sparkles or anything of that nature. They seemed…too normal. Just a pair of my comfy, fitted but not too tight jeans, and a white tank top with one of those button-up shirts for females. Needless to say, I was suspicious. Sure, these jeans were the ones that slung low on my hips, and the tank top was tighter and lower than my usual ones, but I'd expected more glamour. Alice usually hated my worn in clothes and any kind of outfit without some element of overt femininity in general. She'd laid out some borrowed jewelry, a silver chain-fringe necklace (hers), and a thick bracelet…what are they called again? Cuffs. Yeah, one of those, that I had to adjust slightly to fit on my wrist (Rose's wrist was just a little thicker than mine). There was also a fitted jacket that looked like a leather moto jacket, but it was thinner, simple and only adorned with a few zippers (also Rose's). Since I didn't know how cold it was going to get and the button-up was thin and only had quarter sleeves, I shrugged it on. It was thin enough to be able to shove into Rose's bag later anyways, if I didn't need it.

By then Rose was done with her makeup, and looked me over. I awkwardly stood there while she meticulously inspected the details of Alice's outfit. "You like nice," she said after a while. "I'm as surprised as you are that Alice actually let you look like…you. She didn't try to smother you in her personal fashion taste this time."

I nodded in agreement, relaxing a bit more. That was before Rose sat me in a chair and took out some eyebrow tweezers. I immediately started shaking my head violently from side to side and started getting up, but she just told me to relax. "Come on. I won't do too much. Please?"

While I usually didn't like to wear makeup, Rose was a better than Alice at taking into account more to the tastes of the individual person. Alice wasn't ill willed; she just liked things a certain way and usually didn't pause long enough to take what others might think into consideration. It was one of the things that I both admired and was irritated about. Rose, however, recognized that everybody's tastes are different, and catered a bit more to that. Besides, if I didn't let her, Alice would freak and nag me until I let _her_ do it, which would result in my face looking like it belonged to completely different person. It was pretty much inevitable that at one point or another I'd end up with gunk on my face. The only question was what amount of gunk. I sighed and sat down again. I closed my eyes and went to my happy place.

When I opened my eyes again, I was pleasantly surprised. Of course, I knew Rose would keep it relatively tame, but I guess I had underestimated her skills. My normal face looked like me, but…a more attractive version of me. My eyes were more alluring and softer-looking than the usual hardness I could see in them whenever I wasn't losing myself in Jasper or my friends. My brows were tidy and neat, my nose and cheekbones more sculpted, and my lips were a nice shade of red. My face was…striking. I was used to being slightly behind Alice with her exuberant and shining personality, Rose and her commanding beauty and dramatic presence, but now I felt that while I still wouldn't be the first thing your eye was drawn to, I could hold up a bit better. While that did some magic to my self-esteem, I did feel a bit uncomfortable at not being able to blend in as well. Then again, if we were all in our little group, I'd still probably be able to be overlooked pretty well. Jasper liked to tell me that I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on, and he respected my ability to be able to camouflage myself in a room of people even with that beauty. I liked to tell him he was a dirty liar.

Just thinking about Jasper brought a smile to my face, and I saw Rose's hopeful face poised just above my shoulder. Knowing what she was hoping for, I turned and directed my smile at her, thanking her without needing to say the words.

After our little girly moment was over, Alice slipped back in and took a look at us. She declared that we met her standards, and started in on her own makeup. In the meantime, I discreetly moved over to my pile of stuff and grabbed my usual knives and shit. They knew that I liked to carry weapons, but they always made a certain face whenever they saw me conceal them that made me want to do it when they weren't looking.

Alice took longer with her makeup than I would've thought possible. In the meantime, I sat around on my ass and tried to entertain myself. I started off thinking of all the different ways I could fuck with Emmett, and then quickly moved onto how I could mess with people in general. Of course, that led into how I could pull of massive pranks and not get caught. That naturally led to whom I would have to convince to help me, which made Jasper once again pop up in the main part of my mind. Trying to distract myself from that, I counted the ceiling tiles I could see without moving my head. 18. After I'd counted that, I counted all the different makeup-related things in sight, out in the open. 37. By then, I was bored out of my mind, as apparently I'd recently developed the attention span of a squirrel.

"FINALLY!" I exclaimed, as soon as she checked herself in the mirror a final time and gathered all her stuff in her bag. Launching myself off the bed, I was pulling open the door before I knew it. I registered the sound of Rose's laugh and Alice's exasperated huff behind me, as I celebrated the end of my wait by dancing-yes, dancing-around. It was my version of a touchdown dance, and I didn't care how stupid I looked. My mind was in a jumble and being bored with it was not fun. At all.

I felt someone come up behind me and felt strong and overly muscular arms pick me up and spin me around before setting me back on my feet. Emmett's crow of excitement ringing out from above and behind me confirmed my suspicions, as he laughed and picked up the flow of the dancing.

After a few more seconds, I'd come to a stop, watching with an amused smile on my face as Emmett grinded, air-humped, and generally made an even bigger fool out of himself. He even attempted the flipped-up-collar thing, even though he was wearing a t-shirt. Like the shirts all the guys were wearing, it showed off his muscles without making him look like a douche. A deep, sweet chuckle next to my ear alerted me to the presence of Jasper at my side, and I almost-unconsciously leaned into him. He was looking even more delicious to me due to his tight shirt, old and worn but missing the holes some of his had. Alice seemed to have found the one pair of jeans he owned that hung kind of low on his hips. He usually never wore them because they were impractical, but that didn't mean it didn't look hot to me when he did. Alice had also done something I couldn't put my finger on that gave him even more of the scruffy troublemaker look. Just like she'd somehow made Emmett look more body-builderish than usual, and Edward now resembled a teenage idol. Seriously, that low of a V-neck on a guy? Oh well, to each their own. He wrapped an arm around me and we all just stood there. Emmett made for some hilarious entertainment.

But we had to get a move on.

We all walked along, heading in the general direction of where we thought the seedier part of town was, or the nightlife most likely to have drunk females and the rapists that hung out there. After we started seeing we were headed in the correct rough direction, it was easy. Just a matter of judging the environment around you. Some more walking later, and we decided that we should start looking for somewhere to start. Of course, Alice wanted to start with a club, so we agreed to indulge her right off the bat. She'd squealed and led us all to the nearest place with bright lights and a fairly long line. Instead of getting into the line like a normal person, she skipped up to the front and charmed some guys to let us cut in front of them. I was more than half certain the bouncer, or line supervisor-person I guess, had seen it and allowed it anyways. I'd been to clubs before, but then usually only to the more shady ones in empty storage areas, or the equally shady backrooms of the club. So, I wasn't too sure on what the rules of the line were.

We were all underage, and the sign nearby said they would card, but we still managed to get in. I thought it might have had something to do with the fact that the bouncer seemed _very_ distracted by Rosalie. We entered into a slightly hazy din of sweaty moving bodies, drinking, strange lighting, and loud music. The lighting I'd mentioned was a dark red color, and shone from everywhere.

"Come on! Let's dance and socialize! This is the only way we can find out if anyone here's seen Char or Peter, remember? Plus, this is going to be so much fun!" is what I think I heard Alice say over the pounding bass. Next thing I knew, I was in the middle of a giant teeming mass of writhing bodies, and Alice's small form was slipping away, somehow making its way through everybody and disappearing from sight. Edward, tethered to her by their joined hands, waved goodbye to us with a fond smile for his girlfriend's antics.

I turned to locate the remainder of my friends, because whatever Alice said, I didn't like the fact that we were all separating. It felt too much like divide-and-conquer, even if there was no immediate threat. A glance told me that Em and Rose had also disappeared into the crowd, but luckily Jasper was still nearby. He was looking around, separated from me by only a few people. I quickly wove my way to him, tugging on a loop in the waistband of his jeans to alert him to my presence. The worn leather belt kept his pants on his hips so it wasn't like I was pulling them down or anything. He grabbed me around the waist to make sure we weren't separated again. For us, clubs as crowded as these were a slightly uncomfortable experience. Too many people. Jasper was particularly affected, as all the emotions swarmed him. Good thing his capacity was diminished as a human. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to handle it and would probably pass out.

After it became clear we were not going to be able to talk to anyone over the incredibly loud booming music, we just decided to blend in and dance until we could regroup. I quickly lost myself in the bass, rotating my hips and moving with the crowd in one synchronized mass. Jasper and I enjoyed ourselves; at one point we were basically dry humping on the dance floor.

By the time we caught up to Rose and Emmett, we had almost forgotten why we came here in the first place. From the sight of the couple passionately kissing, I guessed they had, too. I literally danced up to them, pulling Rose away from Emmett to join me. She was a bit annoyed at being detached from Em, but she almost instantly forgot about it and shimmied up against me. After she caught Emmett's eye, she started practically using me as a stripper pole, and I laughed as she slid sensually down my body and back up again. I smacked her playfully on her ass as she ground up against me, then she turned so we were front-to-front again and pulled me in for a kiss.

I had to pull away just a few seconds in, though, because I was laughing so hard. Rose was equally amused, pointing at the look on Em's face. It seemed all we had to do to get a hilarious reaction out of him was kiss or do anything even remotely sexual with each other. His eyes would practically bulge and his jaw drop.

Jasper, on the other hand, pulled me flush against his body and devoured me. His kiss was harsh but hot, and my smile was quickly forgotten.

And then, as always, someone just had to interrupt us. Alice forced her way in between us, dragging Edward along. She was beaming, and told us she'd gotten the address from someone. The grumpy look on Edward's face told me that 'someone' had been a guy that she'd charmed the information out of.

We left the club, asking directions from a random pair of guys who we ran into. They pointed us in the rough direction and told us where to go. We headed to where they pointed, the smiles on our faces growing as we anticipated our reunion with our long-lost friend.

We stood in front of a small but popular-looking auto repair center, the kind that fixed up old cars or towed your car, and it seemed like Peter was the owner and mechanic. Char probably handled the customer side of things, as she was good with people. Surprisingly good, even with humans, if I remembered correctly. They seemed to live above the shop, as there was a spacious-looking flat there. I was nervous. My grip on Jasper's hand was probably painful, as I worried uselessly about whether or not they'd recognize us, or hate us, or not even remember us, which was stupid because as vampires they had perfect memory.

I was being irrational, and I knew it. I hated it, in fact. But I couldn't help it.

Jasper leaned in and whispered words of reassurance, which helped. Although I could tell he was nervous as well, both on his own accord and probably influenced by the rest of us; my emotions in particular were influencing his because of our physical contact. I rubbed his arm idly with my hand as I tried to calm my nerves to help him. I heard Edward say to Alice, "Calm down, Angel Eyes, you don't want to overwhelm them, love." Rose looked equally excited, clutching onto Emmett and practically jumping up and down. Rose had only met them in three previous lives, and Alice in one, but Char had clicked instantly with her. Alice and Pete got along pretty well because of the similarities in their gifts.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, and walked up to the shop. I felt my everyone else trail behind me as Jasper settled his arm around my waist, grounding us both. I saw a man in a ratty, greasy gray shirt bent over a table, working on something. He had hair a few shades lighter than Jasper's and cut shorter as well, and my heart caught in my throat. He would've sensed our presence by then, and I waited in elation for him to look up.

Once he did, his entire body went motionless, his eyes staring blankly at us. I remembered this from my past life. Sometimes, a vampire could actually freeze in shock, but only if they were in zero danger of being attacked while they were out, and not for very long.

We looked at each other awkwardly, then drew closer to him. Once he snapped out of it, his face drew up in a giant smile, looking us all over and then letting out a huge laugh. He man-hugged Jasper, at first cautiously as if he were afraid we were going to disappear, and then probably a bit too hard, judging from the wince I saw. I laid a hand on Pete's shoulder to remind him of his strength and that we were mortal. He let go of Jasper and instead hugged me, lifting me off the ground in a giant hug. After he'd hugged everyone, he let out a shout of joy and disbelief.

"I can't…okay, I knew some pretty big shit was going down, but it's…it's you guys! Oh, and look! You're all human as fuck! Oh, this is hilarious. Char!" he called, never taking his eyes off us.

**AN/: I write to procrastinate and put off my homework. I procrastinate further by putting off my writing by surfing the Internet. When will I get my act together?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"What is it, Pete?" Char's voice called out, the thick southern twang and drawl reaching my ears like a thick familiar blanket. She seemed to be nearing us, and her voice expressed genuine curiosity. She obviously heard Pete's comments on our sudden appearance and probably our heartbeats, as well. As she came into sight, she made sure to move at a conceivably human pace, but as she saw us, she morphed into a blonde blur. Next thing I know, I feel the impact of Charlotte throwing her arms around us just a little too hard. Not that I minded that much. I squeezed her as hard as I could, as she somehow managed to jump up and down while enveloping as many of us in a group hug as she could.

The grin on my face was so wide I briefly worried it would crack my head open. Then I mentally smacked myself for sounding so stupid.

Pete closed down the shop and we caught each other up with our lives. They'd grieved, realized that they would probably see us again, just in a different reincarnation, then decided to try and wait until that time came. They settled into their life, opened up this place and were content if not happy.

We filled them in on the events that had brought us to them, describing the differences between going through this a vampire and a human. Also, all the particulars, for example how Jasper and I's 'rainbow fog' had been cut short and all the ramifications on that.

"Goin' from leadin' with a combination of respect and fear to dealin' with spoiled popular bitches?" Char teased Jasper, after the initial reactions to the reunion subsided a bit. He just laughed good-naturedly and shook his head in amusement.

"Hey, there's also the fact that you two are used to seeing me older and significantly more sparkly." He joked, at which Peter nodded profusely.

"This is so bizarre. The almighty God of War…a human? My entire world has been flipped upside down, Jasper. I can't even call you Major anymore without makin' my brain hurt." Pete proceeded to grab his head overdramatically.

"Yeah, well _he_ might not agree with that, but it's true. I have a feeling you're never gonna let this go in the future, are you?"

Pete chuckled, and said, "You know me so well. Of course I'm going to hold this over you for all eternity. This material is just too good to think up." Then his brow furrowed for a moment. "Wait, did you mean the Major's still in that head of yours, brother?" Following Jasper nod, he smiled, though his eyes still held questions. "He must be real frustrated with your puny human-ness, am I right?"

Emmett, already getting along superbly with Pete, guffawed unnecessarily and loudly. Rose just smiled fondly at her boyfriend, as Char did with Pete. Those two had as much in common with each other as their other halves did. Jasper was practically glowing, having finally re-met his vampire 'brother' and 'sister', even as he rolled his eyes. They were even going by his last name, still, so in the eyes of the law, they really were siblings.

Or, at least Jasper and Peter were, and Char was by marriage. Technicalities, really.

"So, how long do we have before ya'll have to get back?" Char asked, some sadness leaking into her voice. We all exchanged sad looks. Alice spoke up.

"We have school next Monday, so…" she looked down. None of us wanted to separate when we'd only just gotten our good friends back. It was like finding out you've loved strawberries your whole life but just thought you didn't, and then the entire world ran out of strawberries just as you were getting back into them. Maybe the weirdest metaphor I've ever thought of, but it still applied.

"Okay. Yeah, we get it. Ya'll still have your grades to think about." Char faked a smile, but it slowly changed into a genuine grin. "I don't wanna think about it, so we'll just make the most of it! I have to take you to this place I love, it's a bar but it's not too crowded and it's got a great atmosphere. It's my favorite bar around here!" She looked at Pete first for approval, and after he nodded encouragingly, turned her hopeful expression to us.

"Aw, how can we say no to that?" Alice looked as excited as Char was, and she was the first to give her assent. The rest of us exchanged looks once more. We were just a tad reluctant to go back out, not really being the nightlife people. But the combined forces of both Alice and Char's puppy-dog faces broke our will quickly.

"This is great! Oh, and ya'll are all ready and everythin'! I have to go change!" She kissed us all on the cheeks and left to prepare, but turned back at the last minute. "Wait, I can't leave ya'll waitin' here for me! That would be rude. How 'bout I give you directions, and we'll meet you there? I might be a while…Pete's torn up most of my good clothes." She threw a flirtatious wink at Peter. After we gave our approval, she told her other half to instruct us on how to get to Char's favorite bar. It was a bit far away, though. Luckily, Pete was willing to lend us a spare SUV. They didn't use it much but had it for random reasons. It was old but big enough to fit all of us and would probably hold together long enough for our night out.

We piled in and Em prodded us until we let him drive. Rose sat next to him with the paper Pete had given us with the directions to act as navigator and the rest of us sat in the back. Alice had to sit on Edward since she was the smallest, but she had her feet on my lap as I sat in the middle. I tried to call Skydd, as I hadn't heard from her in a while and was starting to get suspicious. She kept her silence before to try and keep a secret from me. I thought it had been our trip here, but there was something else…something was going to happen that she knew she couldn't tell me or I'd try and change it.

There was a bad taste in my mouth and a pit in my stomach.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked, ever the insightful one. I smiled at him and shook my head.

"Nothing, nothing." I didn't want to trouble everyone for something that might just be me overreacting and being paranoid. We were on our way to have fun, dammit, and enjoy our time with Pete and Char. So, with that, I placed a small kiss on Jasper's lips for being sweet and asking if I was alright. Of course, it lingered and once again we were making out. I couldn't help it. He was practically made of fantasies.

Fantasies and contradictions. Humble but confident, sweet but masculine, stoic yet empathetic - literally. I could go on and on…understanding but firm, sentimental but practical, spontaneous yet reserved, humorous and serious all at once…

My tongue had only just met with Jasper's when Alice kicked me in the stomach. Not hard, but enough to make me pull away. Seeing the way Rose was practically crawling over onto Em and Edward's grasp on Alice was just a little too strained had us realizing that, once again, Jasper had been projecting.

"Sorry." His sheepish grin always made me internally '_awww'_ (once again, I use the romantic-in-another-life card). I just had to kiss him again. He tried to pull back before he started projecting again, but I moved with him. I kept the contact light so he could break it off if he wanted to, but I didn't have to worry about that. I smiled as I all but felt his last threads of resolve break.

"Dammit! You make it impossible for me to control myself, you know that?" Jasper hissed softly against my lips before attacking them fiercely and pulling me roughly so I was straddling his lap. I barely had enough sanity left in me to throw up my shield around us. I usually didn't have the brainpower to do that when Jasper was kissing me, which was why the projecting was such an issue, especially with the virginal-bordering-on-prudish Edward and Alice. And I thought that without having any ill will towards them, it was just a fact. That's how their relationship was. Just like Em and Rose making out passionately in plain, public view. I knew they'd already consummated their relationship, and I was just getting highly frustrated. What with both my crazy teenage hormones, and my vampire sex drive that somehow existed without me being a vampire screaming out for my fuck-hot boyfriend, I was almost at the end of my rope.

"Maybe I don't want you to control yourself." I managed to breathe. I was on fire again, the crazy burning desire heating me from within. My hips rotated of their own accord as I kissed him with a new fervor. I drank in his groan as his hands started wandering downwards towards my ass.

I quickly realized there was a downside to my shield being around us. His projection affected me, which cycled back into him and so on and so forth. We were _very_ horny and _very_ suppressed.

But eventually I had to break for air. Also, trying to maintain any level of concentration while trapped in a lust-bubble with Jasper was pretty much futile, and without said lust-bubble we'd be having a massive orgy/car crash on our hands. As much as I wanted to continue (which was _so, so_ badly), Alice and Edward were purposefully averting their eyes and sitting in an awkward silence with Rose and Edward. Emmett was trying to drive while holding a hand up to cover his peripheral vision. This couldn't be safe.

Jasper seemed to notice the same thing, because he steadied himself before letting me move off his lap. I chuckled halfheartedly and sank back into my seat with a groan of frustration. My shield snapped back inside of me and I made an effort to exaggeratedly fan my face to help relieve the awkwardness.

Jasper and I managed to behave the rest of the trip, content with PG-13 contact only.

Instead, we spent the time talking and joking with everybody. When we reached the bar, I was the last one out of the car. It looked promising. The lights were warm and welcoming, it seemed lively but not packed, and the music was some catchy country song that had me swaying already.

One moment I was stepping towards the inviting bar, the next I was locked in place against a rock with steel bars holding me there. But no, that wasn't right. The outside world was blurring before my eyes. I fought against my restraints, but my struggles were useless and my shouts and cusses were lost on the wind.

All of a sudden, I was dropped harshly on the rough earth beneath me, feeling dizzy and out of breath. We were in the middle of nowhere, isolated. I sensed my friends laying in the dirt beside me, recovering a bit slower than I was. I found Jasper's hand and gripped it tightly. A group of pale figure with blazing red eyes stood in front of us, four in total, looking restless and feral.

I guessed them to be relatively new vampires. Three females, one male. Knowing that he would be the one in charge, I assessed him. He was antsy, barely controlled, barely contained. That was all I could think before I saw a blur and whipped my head around to see my friends one by one fall to the ground, unconscious. We were far too surprised to be able to use our gifts. The element of surprise had always been a favorite of mine, and I had taken care in the past to never underestimate it. I only had time to thrust a shield around the last member of our group that formed to her skin and would hopefully keep her protected before I felt a hard, cold hit to the side of the head.

My last fleeting thought wasn't coherent so much as it was hope and faith that Rose, the one under my shield, would be protected long enough to give her a decent chance of trying to save us…somehow. Even if it was only herself who was saved, it would be a great miracle.

**Rose POV**

They had my friends and that set me off. They didn't pay me any attention, knowing I couldn't escape them and saving me for last. Alice was also put off until later, her small limp body dragged off to the side. They didn't bother with me. I pretended to be unconscious, and they were too busy to notice otherwise. I didn't know why I wasn't knocked out like the rest, but then with a glance at my admirable friend Izzy, I somehow knew it was her. The protective fury I felt rushed up into my gut and I felt it burn, hot and fierce. The final chord snapped on my control when I saw them take Emmett.

All of a sudden, the warmth shot down my arms, my legs, my chest until I felt it consume me. Operating on blind rage, I stood, the brush I'd been trapped under not a problem anymore. I planted both feet on the ground. The vampires paid me little attention, because they thought I was no threat. To the best of my knowledge, I was not. Nonetheless, I was _not_ backing down. I saw the flames dancing along my skin in my peripherals and instinctively thrust my hands towards the source of my rage, emitting an enraged scream.

A force spread violently from me, a force of heat emitted from my form. The two vampires standing closest to me barely had time to look before they were incinerated where they stood, slowly burning to their final deaths. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting my rage and instinct control me for another moment before forcibly getting a handle on myself. The rage was still there, but it burned cold and steady instead of hot and volatile. I walked, without a fear, on a path of fire towards the remaining predators. They were scared. I was the unknown. There was no way what they had just witnessed was possible. Stupidly and brashly, the male charged towards me with a mighty roar. I raised an extended arm, and a flame shot out of my palm, hitting him square in the chest. I was shocked for an instant, but the rage crushed that quickly. HIs face twisted grotesquely as he fell, a low keening sound emitting from his still-open mouth.

The one who was left quickly dropped Emmett's unconscious body and turned to flee. For all his supernatural speed, he was too slow to save his own hide. I whipped my arm through the air faster than it should've been possible before he had a chance and sent out an arc of flame that swept through the air like a fiery crescent, the curved middle hitting his neck first before the ends curled around and helped in his demise. Deadly accurate. Faithfully fatal. It struck its mark with all the precision of a perfectly honed arrow fired from a master.

My gift had finally emerged.

I stood for a second, still in awe of what had just transpired, before I snapped myself out of it. I didn't know how to put out the flames. I panicked, and my strong emotions caused them to surge up even higher. Noting the correlation, I struggled to get a handle on my feelings. _I wish Jasper was conscious…_I thought, bringing a small smile to my face at the irony of the one time I wanted my emotions influenced so drastically by him, he was unavailable. I usually didn't like it when he calmed me down, but right now, it would make things so much simpler.

Meanwhile, flames were still coming off my skin. They didn't burn, didn't even tingle. I felt pleasantly warm like I'd curled under my favorite blanket with Emmett. The fire subsided a little. Oh. Okay. Em. Of course, he makes me feel calm and centered. I looked over at him, my emotions calming into a steady stream of love, affection, and all those fuzzy feelings. I sighed. That boy did things to me that I didn't even understand. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I let the glow of heat and fire coming from my being subside, my thoughts of Em centering me enough for them to die down. I'd managed to get them low to my skin when the first of the group starting waking up. It was Edward, stirring slowly in his sleep. Of course, all my hard work on getting the fire out was for nothing as I started anticipating their awakening. I gave up trying to calm down, instead standing and watching over the rest. Before Edward had even fully opened his eyes, Izzy shot up straight, quickly on her feet while a blue-tinted, shimmery shield snapped up and surrounded us all. She looked around the scene, taking in the piles of ash, absence of menacing vampires, unharmed friends, and me. I was still standing there with full-on flames. She straightened out of her defensive position and smiled at me. She looked like she was on the verge of laughing, and for some reason I felt a laugh of my own bubbling up in my stomach. I didn't have time for more than a giggle before Jasper groaned, then shot up in much the same way as Izzy had. He was tense and ready to do anything when he noticed the same things she had and relaxed while grinning at me and drawing his girl closer to his body. The shield disappeared and they exchanged a small kiss. The sight had my heart warming, knowing that those two really were perfect for each other, just like my monkey-man was perfect for me.

The warm and fuzzy thoughts had my skin suddenly feeling the absence of my power, and I rushed over to Em as soon as I could. Alice was stirring and Edward was getting to his feet, but I tuned that all out. I tried slapping him to get him to wake up, but he only grunted slightly and turned his head. I did relax a bit at that point, knowing that the groan meant he was alright. I was so relieved that I kissed him, hard. It was when he started responding that I pulled back, smiling. He was smiling back at me, his eyes only half open.

"Isn't this a little reversed? Isn't Sleeping Beauty the one kissed by the Prince?" He whispered to me. _Typical Em,_ I thought fondly, _always cracking a joke._

"Shut up," I told him softly. The smile was still on my face, though.

**Izzy POV**

"Rose! You got your gift! And it is _badass_!" I'd broken away from Jasper, who was still obsessed with making sure I was alright even though I was clearly fine. I swear, when I left his embrace to talk to Rose, he growled. Being human with the mindset of a vampire is _not_ fun.

She laughed, nodding in agreement. "I know, right? Who would've known I'd have such a cool power? For some reason, I can't really remember what my power was, before…until now. It's so weird, you know?"

"Yeah. Maybe the universe wanted it to be a surprise, huh?" Alice chimed in, towing Edward behind her. He seemed to be kind of out of it. Maybe he got hit in the head a little too hard. He was blinking rapidly and looking around in confusion, although he seemed to be pretty focused on the back of Alice's head.

Emmett, who was standing behind Rose with an arm around her waist, spoke up, pouting. "Aw, come on! How come I'm the last to get awesome powers?" Rose laughed and pinched his arm. He pouted even more, probably to make her laugh. She did, pulling him in for a kiss. They were so sweet together, even at school. Rose still kept up her ice-queen persona, of course, but never around him. All our classmates were getting whiplash. One moment, she'd be ignoring the world, then Emmett comes and she just melts. Which was a little ironic, since her gift involved heat and fire, but she acted icy all the time. Yeah.

_I would make a snide comment right now, but I'm not supposed to be talking to you._

Skydd? Where have you been?

_Awww, did someone miss me?  
_

No, you just had me worried. Last time you stopped talking to me, it was because you were keeping something from me.

…

You're hiding something, aren't you.

_I…I'm not supposed to say anything. You know what? I shouldn't be saying anything at all right now…_

Skydd.

_Oh come on, don't be like that. You know I would, if I could. But I can't mess it up this time, okay? I should just keep my mouth shut until it's over._

Until what's over, Skydd. What's going to happen?

_I can't tell you. I just can't._

Argh! What's the point of having a sarcastic voice in my head that warns me about stuff if that voice is keeping things from me that affect us?

_I'm sorry; you know I want to. Hell, I'm made to. This is going against my very nature._

I could feel the uncharacteristic sincerity and seriousness coming from her, even as she paced in the back of my mind, tail swinging back and forth in frustration. I let it drop. If what was going to happen was supposed to happen, there was nothing I could do to change it. Especially if it was important, which it seemed like it was.

I saw a blur coming towards us from the corner of my eye, and then, all of a sudden Pete and Char were standing there, looking protective, defensive, and concerned. They scanned the scene for a threat, then came over when they came up confused.

Jasper debriefed them in a formal, military-like manner. Some part of me purred lowly at the sight, which evoked odd emotions and a sense of recollection that told me I'd been used to seeing it before. I knew it was from my past lives, and I drew closer to him instinctively. I all but pressed myself against him, drawing light patterns on his forearm. I could feel his body tense against mine, before he wrapped an arm around my waist and started stroking my skin reassuringly. The touch was light but I could feel it shoot through me each time. It was _very_ distracting.

Once he was done filling them in, Pete and Char looked very chagrined. "We shouldn't have left you alone, we knew there was a rogue group of fairly young vampires edging around our territory." Pete said, Char nodding alongside him.

Emmett, who had come up beside us with Rosalie in tow, reassured them it wasn't their fault. "Aw, come on, don't be that way. We survived, didn't we? Plus Rose got her kickass power, and it's not like we asked you to guard us. It probably would've pissed some of us off anyways, you know how they don't like to feel like they're considered weak, even if we're human and the enemy are superhuman."

They were wise words. Yeah, Rose and I would've probably been really pissed if we thought we were considered incapable of handling ourselves. However irrationally. Even Alice would've been huffy, and Jasper as well, probably. The present vampires nodded in acceptance, and seemed to put the incident in the back of their minds.

"Okay." Char turned to Rose, with a grin on her face, and congratulated her on the emergence of her gift. As expected, Pete teased Emmett for being a 'late bloomer'. Of course, they wanted to see a demonstration of Rose's power, but didn't quite know how to ask.

Jasper sent me a small dose of their emotions to let me know, and I discreetly looked over at Rose. She caught my eye, and the uncertainty in her gaze told me she got the message.

I understood where she was coming from. She didn't want to accidentally hurt anyone, especially since she was still kind of new to the whole power thing. Even more so because fire is wild and unpredictable, hard to control or tame, impossible if she was overcome with emotion. So, I wrapped everyone in my shield, who had all by now had grown quiet and were all watching our exchange carefully.

With a nod at Rose, she took a deep breath and slowly heat began emitting from her skin, visible in the slightly colder air. She opened her eyes, looking surprised. It seemed she wasn't aware her gift was multifaceted. She only let her astonishment set in for a moment before she reclosed her eyes, concentrating. One moment she was normal, and the next she was blazing. Pete and Char instinctively retreated a few yards, but then realized they couldn't feel the heat from the flames.

Char started stepping cautiously towards Rose. Pete saw her movements and placed himself between his mate and the possible danger. I understood the instinct, and made the shield visible, shimmering blue so they'd know it was there. They relaxed, although Peter still approached first. It was just mated vampire nature. Rose smiled, staring at the colors coming off her skin. I knew it was deadly, destructive, wild, but the sight was also beautiful in a dark and powerful way. I'd always been drawn to fire, and I felt myself gravitating towards her. Jasper followed me, trusting me to keep myself safe but feeling the compulsion to come along anyways. My eyes were filled with wonder and awe, admiring the way the flames twisted, danced, and leaped.

Rose looked a little embarrassed, but my eyes were drawn to the crackling inferno. All of a sudden, I felt an odd sense of warmth tingling in my mind, my shield. My eyes grew wide, and before I could stop it, I'd accidentally duplicated her gift. Her spark grew brighter and brighter in my mind and then absorbed into me.

"Oh shit! Rose, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" She looked at me in confusion, before the realization dawned on her as my emotions caused flames to erupt from me, as well. I panicked for half a second before pulling my shield inwards to extinguish the flames. I made sure to keep the one around Pete and Char up, as well as Jasper, since he was so close to me. It worked, and I was left feeling all sort of guilty. I glanced at Rose, hoping she wouldn't hate me for copying her gift. I knew from experience that someone's gift was a really personal thing.

She looked at me, and tried to approach, before remembering she was still on fire. She closed her eyes and tried to center herself, but when she opened them again, she could only glance around hopelessly as the fire continued to leap around her.

I lowered Jasper's shield, and he started sending out calming emotions as soon as I gave him a nod. She instantly relaxed, the flames retreating swiftly.

I walked slowly closer to her, expecting anger and maybe even a punch or two to the face. It was her gift; it wasn't fair for me to have it, too. Plus, she'd only just gotten it, and I didn't want her to think I'd done it on purpose.

"I'm so sorry, Rose, I didn't mean to do it on purpose, I swear. It's just been such a long time, and I forgot to prevent my gift from doing it automatically like I did for Alice and Edward. I put a sort of block around Jasper so many times in my past lives that it kind of makes an exception for him naturally, but otherwise…I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to do it." She stepped forward and surprised me with a smile and an arm around my shoulder. I tensed, then relaxed when I realized she wasn't trying to hit me. I would've ducked out of the way, but I thought she deserved a hit. Instead, she just kept smiling.

"Don't worry about it, I get it. I know you wouldn't do it on purpose, and even if you did you wouldn't do it just to become more powerful. Besides, this way you can help me with it, right? Doesn't your duplication-thingy come with understanding?" I was shocked. Usually they would be very upset when they found out I'd duplicated their gifts. Plus, I hadn't thought about that. She was right. I could probably help her develop her gift. Apparently, she and Emmett hadn't started out in their original lives with gifts; they'd only gained them in their most recent past lives. Which meant they hadn't had as much time to develop or study their gifts.

"Of course. Yeah. Thanks for understanding." I side-hugged her gently. It seemed that no matter how close we were, I'd still have to get used to the idea of having such good friends. I then glanced around and realized I hadn't taken down the shields yet, so I did that.

Pete approached cautiously with his mate waiting impatiently behind him, as if we would suddenly burst into flame at any second. Well, I guess we could. But it was still a little funny to see. I mean, we were only human, after all, and they were the big-bad-scary vampires.

I am so easily amused.

"Well, this was all very life-changing and stuff, but are we still going to party it up or not?" Alice huffed; managing to look bored even after all the events that had happened. Then again, she probably had a feeling that this kind of thing was going to happen. Not the vampire-abduction part, but the flaming-Rose part.

Char looked at her, and then looked around, hope in her eyes. She didn't get a lot of company, sure she was content with just her mate, but that didn't mean she didn't miss the presence of others, especially females. Sometimes, a gal just needs her girls.

I put my hands in my pockets and scowled. I didn't much like clubbing. But I knew it would make them happy. So I nodded my assent. I felt Jasper draw me closer, so our sides were pressed together. I peeked up at him, his amusement making me smile. I loved it when he was happy. Even if it was just a little, like right now. His eyes would light up and sparkle at me, and the corners of his lips would draw up into a smile I could frame and stare at forever. Sometimes, they would just twitch upwards, just a little bit, making me feel a rush of pleasure for catching the motion. I was so head over heels for this guy that it was crazy. Wow, I'm _whipped,_ and yes I know that phrase is usually used with males only but it seems to describe my situation. But it's okay, because I know he's whipped, too. Just the thought had me snuggling closer to him, not caring how mushy or stupid I looked.

That was the beauty of our relationship. I felt free to be as gooey, sentimental, and sappy as I wished. Things I'd thought were out of my nature felt perfectly fitting. In a good way.

I also felt built-up passion just trying to burst out of me. Of course, my mind just had to remind itself of my pent-up sexual frustration. I huffed silently to myself. Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me, as well as a sly grin that told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. I was probably emitting a ton of lust, but I really couldn't help myself.

Rose was nodding profusely, and Em was staring at her with both fondness and some lust that had me turning away feeling slightly queasy. He truly was like the older brother I honestly hadn't particularly wanted but now that I had one felt nice. Rose was in her element when we'd been to the club earlier. She was a knockout, and she loved to lose herself in the pounding music and common rhythm of the writhing bodies. Even in a milder climate, she still enjoyed being out and about at night.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea, but we decided to go back and continue our night like the attack had never happened. Celebrate Rose's newfound power a little, maybe.

If we hadn't, I'd still be human. We'd all still be human.

**AN/: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Such nice things…since you all seem so smart and have such good ideas, I have a question. What do you think Emmett's power should be? I thought I knew, but now I don't…I wasn't originally intending Rose to have fire as her ability, either…so since I want his gift to supplement, compliment, or help along hers in some way, I now have no idea. I should correct that statement, I have one idea. Which is just that his power is a spark or some kind of energy that helps intensify others' powers but he can also use as an offensive power. That sounds even stupider than it did in my head. **

**Anyways, if you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it! I really want to include it in the next chapter. Also, I apologize about not posting for a while, and the relative shortness of this chapter. Real life, the bitch. You know what I'm saying….**


	4. Chapter 4

The decision was fairly easy. Going through with it, was not so much.

"How the hell are we going to get back there? I don't even know where we are!" Emmett complained. We all looked around. Flat, some grass, no recognizable landmarks. Yep.

Char and Pete could trace their steps backwards easily, but how were the rest of us supposed getting back? It's not like they could carry six humans at once. Well, they _could_, strength-wise, but Char was petite, though busty, and Pete had proportionally-sized arms. Not nearly as laughably long as they would need to be to carry us anywhere. Besides, all the girls would have to be carried by Char and the guys by Peter, otherwise the vampiric possessive instincts would kick in and we'd end up with an accident on our hands.

One or both of them could always run back and drive over to pick us up, but being unnaturally graceful vampires they hadn't really left tracks and would have to mostly on scent to go back. Cars make it hard to scent something out.

An option I could think of was have one of them get the car and come back while the other stayed behind, so the first could use their mating bond to navigate. But making mates separate after dealing with a threat? Not exactly the best or easiest thing to do. The very same mating bond wouldn't allow it. I didn't even propose the idea.

So, instead I thought of a variation. Have both Pete and Char go, and one of us would be carried with them. Since we were all supposedly mates, kind of, and felt the bond, we might be able to use that. I wasn't sure if it would work, though. We were all still human, and humans aren't supposed to feel the bond at all. When they did, it was only slightly, similar to a strong romantic relationship. We all did feel it, but that was because we were an exception. We'd never really tested how strongly we could use the connection, though. None of us couples had ever really separated for long or far. All the same, I though I should get everyone's thoughts on the idea, though I first whispered it out to Jasper. He told me he'd been thinking along the same lines, also wondering about whether or not it was plausible.

The group couldn't really think of anything better. Besides, if this didn't work, we could always get carried over a few at a time. Arduous, yes, so hopefully not necessary.

Alice volunteered to go. She was the smallest, easiest to carry out of the six of us, and there was no denying she and Edward felt just as strongly about each other as the rest of us did with our respective partners. Char picked her up and cradled her in her arms, which was an odd sight since Char was only two inches taller than her bundle at most. But that's just vampirism for ya.

A blur and small whoosh of wind later, and they were gone. Edward looked a little worried and uncomfortable. The expression worsened on his face as time went on. At some point, he began rubbing absentmindedly at the center of his chest. He was turned halfway, facing resolutely towards where Alice must be. Every now and then he'd shift a few degrees to either side. It seemed to be an unconscious movement, as his eyes were distant and his gaze distracted.

It was interesting, and I was intrigued. I must've been staring pretty hard, because Jasper pulled me tighter to him with the arm he had wrapped protectively around me, and kissed me softly on my temple.

"This might just work, huh?" he asked at a volume just loud enough for me to hear. There was a slight twinge of something biting in his voice. I spent one more second studying Edward's behavior before tearing my eyes away and glancing up at him sheepishly.

I knew he was suppressing his jealousy. He knew it was unwarranted, but that was just what a male vampire's mating instinct did. The more dominant, the greater and quicker those feelings were. And, from what I knew of his past lives, Jasper had been _very_ dominant. Mmm, I was definitely not complaining. So damn hot. Focus, Izzy. Focus. Yeah, okay. What was I saying? Yes, his protective and possessive behavior. It was especially pronounced in the beginning, and while it never really fades out, it gets better controlled and maintained. Even squashed, sometimes. Of course, it was harder for Jasper. Being an empath means you're not only in tune with others' emotions, but your own emotions can quickly rule you, as well. Especially if you're around a lot of fluctuating or intense feelings. Even if they're not what you're feeling, they will set you off and amplify those base emotions if they're anywhere near the same side of the spectrum.

Jasper had learned to take a moment and acclimate himself to the emotional climate in the space before spending any large or important amounts of time there. If he didn't properly adjust, he'd be much more out of control and volatile. Also, he would lose control of his projection, and intense emotions could make a vampire freeze up and possibly kill and overload a human.

When he was under my shield, of course, he didn't need to. In the past, I would cover him sometimes, although I made sure to allow him to be able to feel others at least a little. He liked to be in control of his gift, after all. Just like I liked to be in control of mine; and I was pretty sure everyone else felt the same way.

Our gifts all had weaknesses. Alice's could be triggered by either something mundane or at an inconvenient time. Since any big ones seemed to practically make her utterly defenseless, if the opponent decided to do something drastic, even if they weren't actually planning on doing it, her gift would pretty much do the job for them. Her and Edward's gifts both had the same flaw. They operated only on the top level of the consciousness. Even if you were deep down decided to not do it, if you made the decision, she'd go down. If you lied in your thoughts, even though you knew you were lying, Edward would be fooled. That's why they couldn't let anyone know too much about their gifts.

Rose's flames would go up any time she was overwhelmed by her emotions. My powers were similarly flawed. The difference was, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from accidentally killing anyone. So far, and as long as I didn't absorb too many powers I wouldn't be able to control, I wouldn't be fatal directly.

Em hadn't gotten his power yet, but the rule would still apply when he did.

I reached up and kissed him softly under his jaw and laid a hand on his chest. It was my little way of reminding him I wasn't going anywhere. I was his, and he was mine. That's just how it was.

I called him my boyfriend, and he called me his girl, but I didn't really think of our relationship as 'dating'. We'd never actually been on a date, for one. Also, the term 'dating' made me think of those cliché fawning and sweaty hand-holding things you see in movies. We were more comfortable with each other than in ourselves. It felt natural when our hands had found themselves linked. There was no him nervously asking me out to a movie after working up the courage for a month. No me blushing and acting shy, accepting his invitation. No being dropped off at my house with a chaste but eagerly anticipated peck on the lips. No me closing the door and leaning my back on it to give a star-struck sigh, then racing off to call Rose and Alice to relive every moment of our outing. None of that.

And frankly, I was glad.

We were mates. Or as close as we could get without being vampires, anyway. That means a lot more. And don't get me wrong, I didn't think we were above any other couple or something like that. It was just fact. And the mating bond that ran between us was proof.

He smiled at me a little sheepishly, and kissed my temple. His arm was solid and firm against me, and I relaxed into his embrace. I loved the way he made me feel safe and home, protected. Sure, some of it was the mating bond, but the other part was just _him._

Awfully sappy. I was getting used to it.

I started flexing my shield again, keeping it visible so that the light blue-tinged shimmer would alert the others (who were having similarly sappy moments with their others while Edward continued staring off into the distance). Wouldn't want anyone freaking out because weird things start happening and they don't know why.

First, I encircled a pebble and tried manipulating my shield so that it was flicked toward me. After a few failed tries, I was playing catch with myself. Jasper watched with interest shining in his eyes. I moved up to a rock. That only took one failure. The largest rock I could see was easier, since I had more experience. I first bounced it up and down to test the weight, and then got it to come straight at me on the first try. This time, instead of catching it with my hands, I formed a sort-of-basket-shaped thing with my shield and caught it that way. I blinked in surprise, not expecting myself to be able to do that. My disbelief evoked slow chuckles from Jasper in my ear. I elbowed him in the ribs. Very gently. Okay, so I tapped him lightly with my elbow. Semantics.

I let my shield envelop us naturally, a dome-like bubble forming around Jasper and I. Shielding Jasper was almost as natural as shielding myself. Sometimes more so. Protecting the rest of our group was met with only slightly more resistance. Of course, if there was an immediate physical threat to all of us, it took next to no effort to throw up a wall around everyone. But when there was no danger, and I was intentionally manipulating my gift, it was a different story. Strangers were a slight challenge, depending on who they were. Pushing my shield off of myself and onto someone else was next to impossible, again depending on who the 'someone else' was.

My thoughts returned, naturally, to Jasper. My heart grew warm, and I let myself be as grossly girly as I wished, a small smile on my face. I snuck a peek at Jasper from the corner of my eye. I didn't expect for him to be staring back at me, shock and something unidentifiable plainly written on his face. I was confused. I went back to staring straight ahead, this time slightly embarrassed.

Foreign feelings of love and affection, mixed with other similar emotions started creeping up on me, dulled just enough by my gift to keep tem from mingling with my own. Once I started paying attention to them, they hit me much harder, almost full-force, and I actually found it hard to breathe. Jasper's emotions along with mine were becoming too much for me to bear.

Tears started welling up in my eyes as the overload began trying to find a physical outlet. I let out a winded breath. The sound must've alerted Jasper, who didn't seem to know what he was doing, because the hand at my waist tightened, and then relaxed as the sensation quickly retreated, leaving me dizzy and off-center.

"Whoa," I breathed, once I got my breath back. Jasper's face was carefully controlled, a thin mask of calm over the worried and anxious look in his eyes. I shook my head, trying to regain my surroundings.

"Sorry." His voice was off. I glanced over, only to find him staring intently at me. "It's just that I haven't felt your full emotions before, and...I guess I was just shocked that you felt so much, and so deeply about…me. I guess I just lost control of it, for a bit."

"It's fine…I…it just…yeah, I do. Thanks. For showing me how you feel, too. You know, even if it was…yeah." Knowing he felt the same about me as I did with him was different from actually _knowing_ it, first-hand. It was unsettling, but in a good way.

I snuggled back into him, and he started rubbing slow, comforting circles with his thumb. By now, we were sitting on the ground, him cross-legged and me leaning up against him with one knee drawn up as an armrest. There was the slightest of chills in the air, but Jasper's warmth had me not the least bit cold. Rose and Emmett were also sitting, staring into each others eyes and whispering sweet nothings to each other in between brief kissing sessions, and Edward still stood all alone, a solitary figure against the dark skyline acting as a beacon towards Alice; a hand still pressed over his chest.

When his hand resumed rubbing and he started shifting his weight, we knew they were nearing. When he started looking eager and started subconsciously moving forwards, we knew they were almost back. We grudgingly got back on our feet, and congregated together, behind Edward who was still slowly drifting towards his beloved.

The car appeared, a small speck at the edge of our vision. It quickly grew until Peter and Char were distinguishable through the windshield. Char was on Pete's lap in the driver's seat, and Alice was sitting in the passenger's spot eagerly leaning forward with a hand rubbing her chest, matching Edward. The way their eyes connected through the glass and air and held each other, speaking through the distance, felt a little too personal to watch. But she was my best friend, and so I watched, with a smile on my face. My shield came down, and I slid a hand into Jasper's back pocket. I felt a little like parents watching their kid get married, if only because I'd grown accustomed to teaching them. It didn't make sense, but sense was kind of an abandoned thing by now.

As soon as the car slid to a stop, Alice was out the door, barreling into Edward's waiting arms. Her delighted peals of laughter rang out and I turned into my own mate. He looked a mixture of proud and fondness as he turned away from the two to face me. We'd been the leaders, sort of, if only because our experience made it logical. That's just how it was. In the past, it was the same. It was kind of unofficially spoken, and everyone seemed content with the way things were. Even Pete and Char seemed to turn instinctively towards us even thought they were more than capable of leading us themselves. Neither of us especially wanted the position, but everyone else _really_ didn't want it. So, we settled into it. We were human but we thought like vampires, for the most part. And a coven leader not only assumes the position of power, but is also responsible for the well-being of their members. They weren't only the members of our coven, they were also close friends, family. We were a coven in the best sense of the word, so of course we were happy when they were happy.

"Alright, now that that's taken care of, whadya say we get this here show on the road?" Pete crowed, his accent thick and a perfect match to his mate's now. Em cheered and jumped in the car, pulling Rose in after him. There were seven seats, so as long as Pete and Char shared a seat like they had before (presumably, that's why they'd been sharing to begin with), we could all fit. Since Pete and Char both had perfect vampire memory, we'd be back before long.

What I remember of the ride back was mostly a montage of laughter and pleasant conversation. By the time we'd pulled up back in front of the bar, we all felt more relaxed and at ease. My gift had me in tune with Jasper's, so while I didn't duplicate it and could only feel a tiny sampling of the others' emotions through his gift, I knew the emotional climate as a sure thing.

We exited the car and walked into the place, the music growing more distinct as we neared. It was rustic-looking, simple wood furniture and the walls full of old décor like old and slightly rusty horseshoes. In contrast, the setup was similar to the club we'd been at earlier, and the music, while obviously country by the twang and beat, was playing louder than necessary. It was a blend of modern club and old-fashioned watering hole, the clientele also fitting into the mix. There were older men with salt-and-pepper hair sitting at the bar over a beer and younger people dancing with each other and having a good time. It was nice, warmly lit and not too packed, though bustling.

"I see why this is one of your favorites, Char," I remarked, looking around with a smile on my face. She slipped out from under Peter's arm and stole me away from Jasper's comfortable grip. Pulling me over to Rose, she repeated the process with both her and Alice, until she had all us girls linked together while the guys grouped together, arms crossed and looking bemused, facing us. With a wink and a giggle, she pulled us all to the middle of the group of dancing bodies, while I shot a _what're you gonna do? _glance at Jasper. I decided if we were going to be spending the night here, I might as well go all out. I lost myself in the rhythm and let myself have some fun with my girls.

I didn't know where the guys went, but I was moving with my hands in my hair, and the smile on my face was almost splitting. The song was old-fashioned country, but the dancing was all very contemporary, just slightly less seedy and sexual. More about having a good time. Most of the partakers were already in pairs.

Rose took slightly longer to warm up, but soon she was losing her inhibitions as well, and we moved about in a group, in the middle of the dance floor. We were soon having fun and dancing it up, until the guys were suddenly surrounding looking very serious.

I felt the lighthearted buzz leaving me quickly as I caught sight of Jasper, his face grim. I knew it wasn't because we'd ditched them I don't know how long ago, and I immediately tried my best to look through the people for a threat.

We were pulled gently out of the mass of people to a more defendable position.

"Pete spotted a vampire coming this way, by chance. Someone was opening the door and he just caught a glimpse. We don't know if they're hostile or not." Jasper explained to us females, who immediately started monitoring the door.

A pale figure burst through, just slightly too fast to be human, although it didn't seem like anybody else noticed. I heard Pete say something along the lines of, "Why has this place become goddamn vampire central?" as the vampire in question stopped and seemed to scan the place.

We all tensed collectively as the mysterious figure stopped with his face turned towards us. While Jasper and I remained in a ready position, me placed slightly behind him, and the rest all followed our lead, Pete and Char relaxed just a little. They were confused and worried, as well as astonished. Trusting that they were reacting to something we couldn't see yet that made this vampire somehow less of a threat, we also retreated into a less assuming stance, although we were still wary. Again, the others followed our lead, and so we stayed in a mildly defensive positioning as they approached.

He seemed to be male, alone, and certainly more mature than the ones who had tried to make meals out of us earlier. While he was rushing at us, he wasn't poised for attack, in face, as he drew closer it looked more like relief on his face. Jasper's power backed me up. He didn't seem to be aggressive. So why was he looking for us?

It was only when he was almost right in front of us that I realized the situation. The telltale yellow eyes and diplomatic demeanor set off bells in my head, and I immediately recognized him as one Carlisle Cullen. We finally got out of our defensive stances and I moved out from behind Jasper. While we didn't see him as an immediate threat, the harried look about him put me on edge. Jasper kept me close, and I understood his worry. I had a bad feeling welling up in the pit of my stomach that something bad was coming. Something big.

"Oh, I'm so glad I found you before it happened," he breathed, stopping in front of us and looking us all over for injuries. I wasn't sure if that was more intended for us or for himself.

Jasper, looking wary, asked the question that was on all of our minds. "What do you mean? What's going to happen, Carlisle?"

"You remember me. That's good. That's really good. It makes everything easier. You guys have to come with me. All of you, now. I don't know if I can prevent it or not, but at least I can put it off maybe, and warn you." We looked around at each other. Sure, we knew he was a good guy, and he'd helped us before in our other lives, but that didn't mean we were going to willingly jump in with him without reason.

"Carlisle. It's good to see you, but what's going on?" Peter said in a tone that held a slight warning in it.

"I'd explain it to you right now if I could, you know that, Peter. You've got to trust me when I say this is absolutely necessary." He looked around, making and holding firm eye contact with all of us.

Pete looked like he was going to say something, then looked down and swallowed his words. He glanced at Jasper. Jasper glanced at me. I glanced at everyone else, then glanced back at him with a small nod.

"Okay, Carlisle." We followed him out the door, dread quickly growing in the air. We stayed silent the entire walk to the parking lot, which was inconveniently far away. It seemed even farther with all the tension welling up. I made sure to be extra vigilant in taking in my surroundings, but whatever threat was imminent didn't seem to be immediate.

All the same, I made sure to stay directly between my family, my coven, and other people. Jasper had a similar idea, although he also stayed between me and any strangers. One more example of his sweet side. Of course, my definition of sweet might be a bit of a stretch to anyone else. But I knew it meant he cared. A lot. I remembered the experience I'd just had with both of our emotions nearly tearing me apart. A whole lot. Once again, I felt warm and fuzzy. Maybe not the most appropriate thing to feel in the face of danger, but hey, if I worried about anything that might hurt us I'd drive myself crazy.

Not to say I didn't watch out for threats, though. Because I did. Always.

Human threats were easier to deal with. Vampires though, they had the supernatural upper hand. Beating a creature stronger, faster, and smarter than you head on? Not likely. Having powers doesn't mean as much when by the time you realize you have to deploy them you're already being drained. Not to say winning would be impossible. It was possible, just not in a fair and straight fight.

"So, Carlisle, where are you taking us?" Pete half-joked.

He looked back, nervousness written in his face. He gave a tense attempt at a smile, then just abandoned the pretenses. "Well, actually I hadn't thought that far. I just knew I needed to get you somewhere safe. I mean…Esme and I are staying in a hotel near here…the same one as our human friends here, so I guess we could head there." I mentally groaned. Hotels are hard to defend. Of course, it made sense, and Carlisle probably wouldn't want Esme wandering out all alone with this threat looming over our heads. It probably took dire circumstances to even leave her behind and war with his protective instincts. However pacified, he was still a vampire.

Reminding myself of my human limitations, I realized the precautions I normally took would be insufficient. I threw up my shield, but kept it invisible so as not to worry anyone. Sure, if I left it up too long it would strain me (as a vampire using my gift too much would make me need to hunt right away, as a human it took a far greater toll), but I could deal with it. Especially if it meant keeping my friends safe. I made sure to make it one-way though, so they could use their powers and react defensively but still be protected from attack. I could feel Jasper's constant monitoring of emotions and Edward allowing in all the thoughts he could hear, although his radius was not very wide. Apparently in his past lives he'd spent his time trying to repress his gift and as an outcome it was not quite as powerful as the rest of ours.

Alice was likewise scanning the future, but keeping an open porthole for her gift took a toll more so than everyone else's. I had to close it off, and while she blinked a little in surprise, she didn't freak out before I got the chance to tell her what I'd done. She nodded in acceptance and smiled at me to show she didn't hold it against me. All the same, she remained ready for a fight, and I noticed Rosalie standing a little bit away from the rest of us. Preparation of possibly having to burst into flames again. Emmett was just walking protectively near her, eyes scanning the area tersely. His free arm, the one not wrapped around his statuesque girlfriend, was balled up in a fist and twitching slightly every now and then. Being the only one whose gift hadn't manifested yet must be pretty hard on him. I certainly wouldn't like the feeling of not being able to do anything to protect myself.

Which led me to a theory. Sure, our gifts were a part of who we were, but we seemed to have some kind of say in the specific nature. From what I could tell my gift had been slightly different each time but it always centered around protection. And also from the amount I'd gleaned without having to suffer the side effects, my past lives have always put me in a situation where I'd needed or wished to be able to protect myself. Plus, I'd been a little too trusting and open in some of my pasts. Or, mostly, I'd be too defensive. Having a shield, both mental and physical, makes me feel more secure somewhat and allows me to open up more when I choose too.

Jasper had been as badass in his past lives as he was naturally. Maybe his gift of empathy was not only to be able to influence and control or monitor others, but also to remind himself to keep his humanity. Figuratively speaking, of course. I knew how easy it was to stop thinking of the enemy as people with feelings and families of their own and start thinking of them as just faceless targets. And of course, being able to tell the motives behind a person makes many things much easier. In his pasts, he'd been abused in many different forms. Being able to manipulate and calm them must've been a must.

Rose, from what I could tell just desperately wanted to be able to fight back. Fire was like that, wild and feral. What she must've been wishing she could do. All our backgrounds seemed to be fairly consistent and similar. Sadly, rape had been a big factor in many of hers. It made her feel utterly helpless. Fire lets her fight back. Besides, say what you want about her, Rose feels deeply. She may not show it, especially if she didn't know you intimately, but she does. Having her strong emotions fuel her fire may be a way of getting her to recognize when she started spiraling and pull herself out of it. A kind of emotional warning that she needed. She tended to overreact sometimes.

Edward needed to know what others were thinking of him. It was important to his survival and well-being. He also seemed to need his gift as his own little form of control. Plus, knowing something was going to happen just as it crossed another's mind had saved his hide many times in the past. Knowing he had a slight ignorant but snide streak reminded me that it also provided him with perspective. He wasn't ill-willed, but sometimes he could be overly convinced he was right despite limited knowledge on a subject. Humility could be achieved with his gift, but only with his specific personality. Anyone with true egomania would see it as further proof they were better than the rest; knowing someone's thoughts. Good thing he wasn't like that.

Alice was similar. She seemed to need to know the risks of a decision. The possible outcome of just _one_; both because she was very impulsive most times and because she'd needed it to evade attackers. She wasn't one much for being the aggressor, she needed to be able to prevent the fight from happening in the first place. Being a seer was simply the best thing for her survival.

As we approached our vehicles, we had to decide who would ride with who. We humans decided we should all share a car for convenience. The vampires would follow behind us. Alice had pulled out her smartphone and found a route back to the hotel, so navigation wasn't a problem. I settled into my seat, cuddling in with Jasper. Alice had practically begged to be the one driving this time around, so Edward was sitting up front, and the remaining four of us were crammed together in a seat made for two adults and one child.

Although, I thought to myself, an excuse to be pressed extra-close to Jasper is never something to complain about. I was sitting next to the door, half on his lap. I shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, but froze immediately when I heard a soft groan leave Jasper's parted lips. His eyes were shut tight, and he grabbed onto me to hold me still. His grip was tight, digging into my skin, and I found that his rougher-than-usual treatment of me _really_ turned me on.

I wasn't entirely sure whether I should moan or laugh, so I did a bit of both. He opened his eyes and peeked at me like, _Don't laugh at my torture!_ I stifled a giggle. Well, now I was curious. I stayed perfectly still until his grip loosened a bit. Then I ever-so-slowly slid backwards. Technically diagonally since I was sitting sideways, but even so I started trembling lightly when I belatedly realized I'd shifted just so and now he was pressing into my core through the denim of my jeans. The giggle turned into a gasp. His fingers were now just shy of leaving behind bruises, and I tried to pretend like it wasn't growing uncomfortably hot in my little world. I tried to make myself pull away, to think of my friends who were stuck in the car with us. But Rosalie and Emmett were more than occupied in each other and we weren't making enough of a commotion for Edward or Alice to break their conversation. I tried to stop myself, basically, from ripping off both of our clothes right then and there and finally getting to feel him inside of me where he belonged.

It took all my willpower to haul myself off of him. The fact that to reposition myself more appropriately meant having the rather noticeable bulge in his jeans brush across the tingly places of me that wanted him the most did _not_ help things. There was only so much sexual tension we could build up without imploding, and I felt like we were certainly dancing along that line by now.

How was I supposed to resist a smokin' hot guy like Jasper who also happened to be my perfect match and the one I'd like to spend eternity with? I loved him, he loved me, and we were both more than willing. It wasn't illegal to want him, and I certainly wouldn't care even if it was. I made up my mind. As soon as we got the chance to take a breath, I would be kicking my friends out for the evening and jump his bones. I was confident he would go along with it, so all I really had to worry about was figuring out a way to make them stay away without hurting anyone's feelings.

Maybe I could just come right out and say that I needed them to leave me and Jasper alone so we could fuck. Okay, maybe not. That would just make things awkward, and Em would never let it go. I could always just tell Rose and Ali, though. They'd understand. And they could certainly keep their boyfriends away for a while. Alrighty then. It's decided.

I was feeling content and happy, especially knowing I had a plan in action for finally getting some much needed alone time with Jas. My shield came down, and I heard Alice let out a breath as her gift came back.

Before I could realize the implications of what had just happened, Alice was slipping into a major vision. She went ramrod straight, then limp and her eyes glazed over. Unfortunately, we were in a large metal speeding bullet hurtling down a road at speeds exceeding the limit by several tens (Alice loved to speed). The car swerved and almost hit another one, but Edward had reached over and gave it a firm yank to the side. But then he also succumbed to Alice's vision and crumpled, leaving the vehicle again without a driver, barreling off the road.

I was lunging forwards in a futile attempt to do _something_ when time seemed to freeze. Everything just stopped. But I found I could still move. It felt eerie. I looked around and saw that Jasper and Em were also moving about, but everyone else was unmoving and still. Outside, the scene showed much the same, people frozen in their vehicles in all sorts of positions. A leaf falling off a tree nearby was stuck in midair. I was almost afraid to breathe.

"What…what just happe-Emmett! It must be your gift!" I exclaimed quietly. There was no need to be loud and it seemed as if any loudness would shatter the delicate pause of time anyways.

"Me?" He asked, looking bewildered but sounding as if he knew, on some level, that it had been him.

"Well, yeah! It makes sense. How else would this be happening?" It fit my earlier theory. Em had confided in me before that, back when he was a drunken troublemaker, he'd often lay on the floor and just wish everything could stop; that his life would just freeze and let him relax. Also, Rose being fire, they just fit the cliché of fire and ice. Which made me wonder if he could also freeze just select beings at a time or maybe even literally freeze things. Something told me he could. And I'd learned long ago that when I had that odd feeling of certainty or sparkling intuition, it was usually my gift coming through.

"But…in everything I know about this kind of thing, which is mostly TV and movies by the way, usually the only person still able to move is the guy who did the time-freezing. How come you and Jasper aren't frozen?" He asked. I could tell he knew this was his doing, though. Just like you'd be able to recognize your signature or your own likeness, we could always recognize when it was our gift as opposed to someone else's. But it was also more than that, it was just like a deep gut feeling, recognition that came with knowing part of your soul. It's hard to explain.

"Well, I have a shield, and that must be what's keeping me unfrozen. Jasper was probably under my shield, too." He nodded, but kept looking around in amazement and hesitation.

"What should we do?" He asked. I knew he would be the most apt person to answer that question, and so kept silent to let him work it out. It was his gift, and he should be the one to figure out what to do with it. He stayed how he was for a moment, then tried opening the car door. It didn't work. He tried unlocking it. That didn't work either. Finally, he started smashing his full body weight against the windows.

"Emmett?" I interjected. He was getting frustrated. When he looked up at me, I continued. "I think that since time is frozen, everything else might be frozen, too. You could probably move things like you could, normally, just nothing that requires electricity or mechanical movement. The doors can't unlock because to do that it would require other moving parts. The window glass can't break or fall. You could only set up a vase to fall, for instance, you couldn't smash it yourself."

"Oh." He looked upset for a beat, then his eyes widened with realization. "You mean…but wait, if we're in a locked car that's about to crash, I can't do _anything_ to save us?"

"I don't think we can stop the crash. But we could probably make sure it doesn't hurt any of us." He huffed at my words. But he was also bobbing his head in acceptance. So we set to work trying to move everyone into the best positions we could. It wasn't guaranteed safety, but it was at least better.

Jasper was buckling Edward in. Edward was usually the cautious one, so it was surprising that he'd forgotten to put his seatbelt on.

None of us really knew what the safest position was when in a car crash, so we just did our best. Besides, now that I had the time, I'd probably be able to shield us from harm. Probably. It really hadn't ever been an issue before.

We got back in our seats, making sure to buckle up. I grasped Jasper's hand for support and nodded at Emmett. Emotions played a large part into most of our gifts, but then again emotion was a big motivator for practically everything. That was the reason Jasper's gift was so effective, after all. So Emmett was going to try to relax. He gently held Rose's hand and closed his eyes. I threw my shield around everyone. Jasper tensed beside me.

Time slammed into us like a train and a bullet's bastard child. Chaos. Jasper and I braced for impact, our knuckles white and our fingers clenched together so hard it hurt. Someone was screaming and shouting. We crashed.

When the dust settled, I heard three sets of heavy breathing and two sighs of relief. I blinked and looked around as best I could. It was dark and the space was confusing. The door was bent at an awkward angle, but I managed to shove it open. I stumbled out. I shouldn't be this dizzy. My entire body felt sore, but that wasn't right. I realized I physically felt absolutely fine. So it was all in my head, then. Great. I felt mentally weary.

Jasper had stepped out with me, his hand still tight around mine. We stood together and surveyed the damage. Peter's old truck was dead. It had crashed into a tree, and the front was all bent up. It looked horrible. We probably shouldn't have been able to walk away from that crash, let alone without a scratch. In reality, we should be dead. Edward and Alice were the next to climb out of the totaled car, looking dazed. Emmett was taking a moment with Rose, in the car. I felt battered. My shield. My shield was probably the reason I felt so beat. I leaned my weight against Jasper for a while. He sensed my condition and helped support me so that I didn't just collapse. My body was awake and humming with adrenaline and energy, but I couldn't find the energy to tell it to move. For someone who was used to having to push their body past its limits with only their willpower, it was unsettling, to say the least. Usually it was my mind that was sharp and my body that was beat.

Jasper dropped a kiss on my head, keeping me close and tight to him as we surveyed the damage. Peter, Char, and Carlisle had already pulled up near us, looking worried. We assured them we were fine. They seemed awkward. I guess it was the fact that now the differences between us were now highlighted. They would be able to walk away from a crash without a scratch as long as nothing was set on fire. We were more…mortal. Breakable, even. Char came over and gave me a I'm-glad-you're-not-dead hug. Her touch was feather-light.

"You know I'm not _that_ fragile, right?" I asked her. She looked a little ashamed and squeezed me at human-strength. I patted her back awkwardly. Still not very good with displays of emotion.

"Alright, now that we got that part out of the way, I should probably tell you that I can stop time now. Yeah." Em said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly with one hand while his other was attached to Rose's. She looked very supportive and proud of her other half.

Of course, everyone erupted into congratulations, surprise, and all the normal things that happen in this kind of situation. If there was a 'normal thing', that is. But when all was said and done, really there was only one question on our minds.

How the hell were we going to get anywhere now?

**AN/: I'm not going to be making excuses. I should update sooner. But I do have new ideas for one-shots and things of the like that are in the works, and my grade is up, now! Yay! Okay. I lied. Those were totally excuses, but in disguises. All the same, they are legitimate reasons. Sigh. I did not go where I wanted to with this chapter. I was going to include their change, then realized one near-fatal car crash was probably big enough of an event. Also, the whole Emmett's-power thing. A lot of suggestions included the fire-and-ice thing. That is awesome. I was kicking myself for not thinking of it. I did put a slight variation on it, though, both to be able to introduce it and to make it seem more usable in day-to-day situations. Yep. That's my spiel for now. See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Alright, I think the only option here is to pile on in." Emmett said, scratching his head and looking at the vehicle parked in front of him. I didn't tell him how similar he looked to the little animated monkey I'd hated watching as kid. I didn't think he'd much appreciate being compared to Curious George.

"Well, at least I didn't care too much for that ol' truck." Pete lamented ruefully. He then flashed into the front passenger seat before Em could call shotgun and took his mate with him by the waist. Char's giggles, reminding me of the sound of wind chimes and bells, rang out as she was plopped gently onto his lap. "Now, let's get goin', shall we?"

Deliberately pushing the churning emotions that were the normal human response to nearly dying then being saved by a friend who can now stop time as far away as they would go, I let myself smile and drag Jasper to the car. I pushed him somewhat-mindfully into the back seat and climbed in after him. The only way we'd fit in the car that normally sat five people would be if Carlisle drove, and the rest of us doubled up. There was no way I was letting Jasper sit on me, so he'd just have to deal with me on his lap until we got to the hotel. As long as I remembered not to squirm, (I recalled his earlier reaction with a slightly lustful mental smile) we'd be fine. Well, his legs might fall asleep, since I was indeed around the average height for a teen my age, height, and ethnicity, but considering we really didn't have much of an alternative it'd have to make do.

He was scooting over to the other side, but Emmett claimed the window seat quickly before Jasper could. We were stuck squashed into the middle. I stuck out my tongue teasingly at Em, who stuck his out back. Rosalie rolled her eyes at his antics but sat gingerly down on her boyfriend's lap anyways. The small hint of a smile I saw at the corner of her lips told me she secretly loved how goofy and child-like he was at times. Alice and Edward got in to our right, and we found there was just enough space for us girls to distribute our weight so none of the guys' legs would have to be cut off from their blood flow. There was still a while to go until we got to the hotel, after all. Buckling up was awkward, but as we'd nearly just died in a car crash, we weren't skipping that step. Sure, Carlisle was a vampire and so it was very highly unlikely we would crash, but still. He might have to swerve suddenly or something like that.

Okay, who am I kidding, no matter how well adjusted to weird and eventful things happening, you don't take a near-fatal car crash into stride _that_ easily. Of course we were bound to be a little sensitive to these matters for a little while. It was the whole hand-hurts-when-touch-hot-must-not-touch-fire-again thing, and we weren't immune.

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, all of us feeling a little extra aware of the surroundings. Well, almost all of us. In a move that was completely out of character, I decided to let down my guard in the midst of a tense situation and instead, curl up into Jasper and trust him to be aware for me while I tried my best to recuperate from the toll my shield had taken on my very human brain. The way I figured it, right now was down time in relation to what could possibly be worrying enough to make Carlisle so anxious. It was better to run the risk now rather than later, and I'd be at more of a risk if we encountered danger and I couldn't fight back because of my own mind. I really didn't like this.

I woke from my half-sleep as the car slowed down to a stop. It wasn't some graceful, adorable, and easy transition from the world of dreams. No, of course it wasn't. Because I wouldn't be me without the ability to knock a bunch of dudes out with ease, but also to have fits of extreme incoordination and absolutely no grace. I woke with a start and an awkward snort-like inhale, sitting straight up and blowing the hair out of my face. I was half-on Jasper and the seat, and half-jammed against the door and part of the floor. There was _some_ flailing and a little punching, which Jasper dodged with an amused look on his face, catching the third fist, before I realized what was going on. I then straightened myself as best as I could, despite making a complete fool of myself, and cleared my throat, sorting out my hair. I reclaimed my fist and waited for a moment while smoothing out my clothes, then punched Jasper in the shoulder. Not lightly, but not hard enough to hurt too much, either. I needed _some_ sense of dignity, after all. Okay, so I was being childish, but I didn't really care and it just made everyone else laugh louder anyways. Including Jasper. Which just made me pout. Okay, I was cranky. There was a reason I didn't usually take naps.

When we finally climbed out of the car and into the lobby of the hotel, the tension was back. It was a thin veil of apprehension in the back of everyone's minds, and there was no sense denying it was there. Alice was fidgeting nervously next to Edward while Carlisle talked with the lady leaning casually against the desk. His vampiric appearance quickly had her turning from surly and cranky to compliant and a little too flirty. She even 'discreetly' swallowed the gum she'd been smacking on.

I probably would've straight-out laughed under any other circumstances. Maybe even dropped to the floor and rolled about a bit, not caring who was pointing and staring. As it was, I still managed to smile a little. Like I've said, easily amused. Very much so. Anyway, we were soon heading up to Carlisle's room. We figured since Esme was already there it'd be easier than going to ours. As soon as we started getting close Carlisle seemed to grow more and more anxious. He was a vampire, so the more indicative reactions weren't visible to us humans, but all the same he was walking just a little too fast for a human. There was a weird blurring effect around his mouth that closely resembled lower-quality video only in real life. It took me a while to realize that he was talking at vampire speed. He must've been talking at a fairly regular pace, maybe even slower than his average speed; otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to tell at all. He was most likely filling Esme in on things and notifying her that we were going to be joining him. Poor Esme was probably bored out of her mind. Or just insanely worried. From what I could remember, Esme was a worrier.

We came to stop at the door, Carlisle quickly unlocking it with his key card. The beat-up-looking reader flashed green and just like that we were in the room, face to face with Esme. Yep. Worried.

She let out a soft cry and launched herself into Carlisle's arms. Well, probably. All I saw was that one moment she was standing there, there was a quick blur, and then she was kissing Carlisle with a heavy fervor. I felt way more than just a little awkward at that point. I now understood how Edward and Alice must feel seeing us and Rosalie and Emmett make out.

Pete, who was still out in the hall with Char since Carlisle and Esme were kind of holding up the traffic, wolf-whistled. The smile on his face was there but a little awkward.

"Well, as much as I hate to interrupt ya'll's little 'Brown Chicken Brown Cow' moment…" he trailed off. He had that stupid Peter grin on his face, complete with waggling eyebrows that reminded me of Em. Esme looked embarrassed and slowly got off of Carlisle. Carlisle cleared his throat, rather unnecessarily, and awkwardly stared at a wall while his eyes faded back to butterscotch. We all tried our best to not look at them, if only to spare our minds from having to have had the image of Carlisle willing away a hard on. Eugh. I think I'll have to find some brain bleach.

"Oh, uh, yes. Right. I'm so glad you all could make it! Are you all alright?" Esme immediately started checking us all for injuries or…dust, I guess. She even started straightening our clothes with some mother hen tsk-ing thrown in.

None of us were very accustomed to being 'mothered', so we continued with the no-eye-contact thing. There were also a lot of awkward and unnecessary clearings of throats.

"Just look at all of you! Oh, it's been too long, Charlotte, Peter, hasn't it? And don't even get me started on the rest of you! Which reminds me. What were you thinking young man, just up and dying like that? Suicide is never the answer, dearie. Although, I do suppose it was quite romantic. And heaven knows I would do the same for Carlisle. But you should have at least given us some notice first, hmm?" Esme scolded in Jasper's general direction. Well, it was more hovering in between endearing worry and a bit of nagging. At my side, he looked mostly confused and a little abashed.

"Well…I'm sorry, ma'am." He replied, voice still laced with confusion. His long-buried Southern drawl and demeanor was making just a tinge of a reappearance due to the situation and also because of the exposure to Pete and Char. Both of which had very strong accents. Even though he'd been away from the South for a long time, he'd lived around that area for an even longer and through multiple lives. The result was me once again trying not to just jump his bones, not caring who else was there.

_Again?_

Yes, again. Haven't heard from you in a while, Skydd.

_Yeah, well, I'm not even supposed to be talking to you now. But do you know how hard it is to just be here and watch all this material pass right by you, not being able to comment on it?_

I'm sure I don't have anywhere near a complete grasp on the torture you have had to go through.

_Hey. I know we're a bitch, but it was a serious struggle._

Uh-huh. Anyways, do you have any useful information you **can** share? Or are you just interrupting to make snide comments as usual?

_Shut up. There's not much I can say. I'm sorry, my hands are tied. Well, metaphorically. They can't actually be tied since I don't have real, physical hands. And even in your imagination I'm a…what, a panther-type thing?_

…But?

_Sigh. But I can tell you that your life will be drastically changing. Very, very soon. Twice, in a fairly quick sequence. You'll be…even more unique than you are right now. Not just you. Jasper, Rose, Char, Pete, Emmett, Alice, Edward, all of them, too._

You sure? I'm not sure how many major life-threatening/changing events I can handle in one day.

_Don't worry; you'll at least get in one last night of sleep._

Wait a second. Did you just say one **last** night of sleep? What's that supposed to mean? What's going to happen, Skydd?

_I…I shouldn't have said anything. Dammit. I really can't tell you. I'm sorry._

Skydd? Skydd? Hello? Anyone there? Silent treatment, huh.

Well, I felt even more anxious and frustrated than before that little not-so-illuminating chat. Jas must've sensed the shift in my emotional climate, since he got that little crease in his forehead that I found adorable and gravitated toward me. The physical contact of his arm around me was familiar, safe, and of course there was always that little undercurrent of belonging and home.

"Okay, um, sorry to interrupt, Esme, but Carlisle told us that we're in danger…it sounded kind of urgent and…" My awkwardness was coming through. Yeah, I could be abrasive and direct, but this was Esme. She always had this kind of effect on people. She was just so mothering that whether or not you wanted to, you just end up feeling more…docile, I guess, around her.

"Oh, yes, of course, dearie. I'm sorry. Yes, you really should know, and soon. Carlisle?" She looked around at her mate and they led us to the beds. They sat down on the far one, hands cradled together, while we sat facing them. Well, Pete and Char stood. It wasn't like they could get tired, and six people was enough of a squeeze as it was. Carlisle seemed to be thinking of the best way to explain whatever the mysterious threat looming over our heads was, and the tension in the room was so thick it probably would've lit on fire if one of us were to light a match.

"Okay, so I'm still not entirely sure how much you know, but it seems you have remembered the basics. The prophecy? Or rather, prophesies?" He raised a brow and Jasper and I nodded at this point, followed by everyone else.

"Well, I'll just get to the point. I've recently determined that within the next seventy-two hours you all will undergo some major changes. Basically, what you described to me as the 'rainbow mist', Izzy, will force you unconscious again. Only this time you absolutely will not be able to be disturbed. I suspect Izzy's shield will go up, and as it has been growing stronger, will disrupt anyone's attempts. Peter, Charlotte, you will be under this trance as well, although significantly more aware of your surroundings. The unsuccessful fusing of Jasper and Izzy's past memories will be remedied and our human friends will get some…upgrades. Peter and Char will also experience some changes. Those include looking slightly different as well as becoming a more enhanced type of vampire. As for those of you who are still mortal, your minds will expand and you will be physically stronger and faster. Of course, not quite to the degree of a vampire, but more so than an ordinary human. This intermediate stage is so that you can be better prepared and able to defend yourselves in the space of time between fully merging frames of mind and fulfilling your ultimate destiny of becoming vampires. Normally, I'd say you definitely have a choice, and you still kind of do, but you will eventually become vampires." He paused and looked around with a bit of nervousness, as if gauging our reactions.

We just shrugged it off. We'd all pretty much accepted it a long time ago.

"Okay. However, you do have a choice in how the change will come about. The first change already slowly started happening ever since the last of you went through this 'rainbow fog'. However, it did start speeding up a tiny bit once the last of you attained a fully emerged gift. Still, the process is so slow you can't really realize it's happening. Once the full change takes place though, it will be highly sped up. In fact, it should take only a few hours. I'm not exactly sure what it will feel like, but apparently you will come out of it feeling very different. It will be a time of high emotional toll, though." He stopped briefly once again, as if to emphasize this point. To emphasize it even more, he looked each of us in the eye in turn.

Once he was presumably satisfied with the emphasis, he continued. "The next change is the more major one. There will be time in between for you to spend your last mortal minutes. But either a vampiric stranger will find you somehow and you will be turned as soon as the tiniest drop of venom enters your blood stream, or it can be scheduled and done willingly with proper preparation. Of course, the latter requires either Esme or I to bite you, as Peter and Charlotte will again be in a trance as soon as it happens. However, interestingly enough, not all of you have to be bitten. Only one speck of venom entering only one of your bloodstreams and all of you start the Change. Again, I assume Izzy's shield will be very much active, protecting you all while you go through the most agonizing process a vampire must deal with. I do regretfully inform you that your Changes will be a bit longer than usual, and apparently twice as painful. Though the good news is you will be fully conscious of each other and be able to rely on one another through your bonds. Peter and Charlotte will be there for support, however they won't be going through the Change again."

At this point Peter interrupted with a relieved "Thank whatever God or gods are out there".

Carlisle allowed a brief smile before returning to his somber but professional facial expression. We requested some time to talk it out. But it turned out we didn't really need it. These things were happening, and we all unanimously would rather it be someone we were familiar with Changing us than a crazed stranger. It was determined Carlisle would be the one to do the actual Changing, since he had the greatest control over his bloodlust. Besides, he'd turned several of us before. Although those times were in different lives, the principle was the same. It was still the same process.

"So, I'm just going to come out and say it," Edward announced, interrupting the lull in conversation. "Which one of us is going to be the one who gets bitten?"

There was another one of those everyone-looks-around-at-everyone-else moments, and I decided to open my mouth at the same time Alice and Jasper did.

"I'll do it."

"It should be me."

"I'll volunteer."

Shortly followed by the other half of us offering to initiate the Change. Hence another moment filled with awkward silence and intense staring contests.

"Look, it should be me. You guys all helped with James and Victoria even though it wasn't your problem and we barely knew each other." I decided to sell myself as best I could.

Of course, Jasper had the same idea. "Hey, they were my fault too. And besides, Iz, you've been letting me basically live at your place with no rent. You even buy all the groceries." I pouted at him. I was about to contest, but realized he was just going to keep at it until I caved. And Jasper Whitlock was nothing if not convincing as hell. Especially with me. Not to say that I couldn't get him to do what I wanted, too, but we were both equally whipped. I still pinched his arm.

"Nonsense. We barely helped. If I remember correctly we actually got taken hostage. In the meantime, your 'rainbow fog' moment got interrupted and now you can't look back too much without getting those horrible symptoms. Plus, we all got free training out of the deal and there was also a great deal of bonding. I'll do it." Alice sniffed and stuck her little nose up in the air in a show of authority.

"Oh, come on, Alice. All that is true for me, too. I should be the one to get bitten. I don't want you to have to be the first one." Edward's voice was soft but admonishing. Alice slowly deflated and gave a weak nod and a soft smile for Edward. It was sweet. No wonder she melted like that.

But I knew both Jas and Em were feeling the same way, because Rose didn't even get a chance to open her mouth all the way before Em was placing a fat kiss on her lips to shut her up. Meanwhile, Jas nestled his chin on my shoulder and softly kissed my neck while playing with a lock of my hair. It was cute, but the message was also clear. _Please, don't._

"Okay, it looks like we're all volunteering." Em declared after he finished with Rose. "So…how are we gonna choose?"

"Maybe we should leave it up to chance. How about we draw straws?" Rose suggested after recovering her breath. She deliberately smoothed away a lock of her hair, her breathing still a bit faster than usual.

"Actually, that seems very fair." I thought about it for a second. "Yeah. I like the idea. Except we should wait until the time comes, you know, so we don't have to worry about it until then. What do you guys think?" They seemed to consider Rose's idea and my follow-up tweak for a beat before agreeing. All in all, it wasn't a bad compromise. Of course, I'd have to use my shield to block Alice from seeing the future and deliberately choosing the right one, and to block Edward from reading the thoughts of whoever arranged the sticks. I guess Jasper could also cheat, assuming whoever held the fates really did know which was which. Then again, Em could just freeze time and take a peek if I wasn't shielding anyone, and Rose could just burn all of them and force us to do it again until she got the one that was 'marked for death'. Literally. Huh. Marked for death.

"I'm glad all that's settled. But all we can really do now is wait and try our best to keep you all from danger. Think we can do that, danger magnets?" Carlisle grinned, obviously feeling better now that we actually had some sort of plan for action. He even made a joke, even if it was kind of lame. I was impressed. Carlisle wasn't exactly known for his jokes.

We went down to the lobby to give Carlisle and Esme some alone time, and also to see if we could change our room to the one next to theirs. We'd seen one of those connecting doors, and it would be more convenient to be closer together anyways. It wasn't as difficult as I was expecting, but then again having a vampire there to dazzle the workers into complying was kind of an unfair advantage. Two even more gorgeous than average ones? You can imagine.

Okay, just in case you can't, picture this: you're just a average, underpaid worker at a crappy chain of motels, going about your average day and trying not to die of boredom and numbness to the world outside. Now picture this: all of a sudden, not only one, not only two, but three times in one day you are approached by three different extremely attractive, nice-seeming customers. I'm talking remarkably easy on the eyes. Now multiply that times vampiric beauty, and add in a dose of heavy complacency from the friendly neighborhood empath that you don't know about, as well as that same unnaturally attractive being seemingly being 'into you', and you can see why they were pretty eager to help.

After we moved all our stuff over, we opened up the common door and lounged around. Carlisle and Esme were making all the usual conversation that one does after not seeing somebody you were close to for a long time. As I paid close attention to the questions, and realized that they were ever so subtly steered towards finding out the differences in this personality as opposed to the others, and more specifically how different we were as people from the last cycle through when they'd known us best, I gained a newfound appreciation with Carlisle's aptitude with words.

Sneaky little diplomatic, vampiric, whatever-else-iric doctor.

While our tales were being recounted in great detail and a little extra exaggeration on Em's part, my mind wandered to the question of our sleeping arrangements. There were four beds altogether, and our room had one couch. Even if we managed to decide who gave up a bed for the couch, there'd still be one place short. That was taking into account the fact that the other four in our group were vampires, and hopefully willing to let us sleep in their beds since they were just as comfortable standing as sitting or laying down. I knew my friends, and I knew that I myself would immediately try and get the couch so that everyone else could get a bed. The whole who-gets-actually-bitten argument told me that much. If we were all scrambling over who forfeits their mortality willingly in the initial way to start the chain reaction that causes everyone else to also turn, I was pretty sure the whole sofa thing would not be exempt from our continuing battle of trying to make each others lives just a little bit easier.

Plus, we were all couples and if we decided to share beds altogether just to make it fair, there'd be some definite issues. Obviously, we would all want to cuddle up next to our significant other, but could we really trust that nobody would get a little horny in their dreams, even if they focused on keeping it PG awake, and their asleep bodies would put each other in some compromising positions? Nope. And even if everyone kept their hands to themselves while asleep, all it would take was the dream itself (which would probably be more likely taking into account the proximity to one's human-mate) and Jasper would unconsciously soak in and then project and magnify the lust and start the whole lust-cycle thing up again. Plus knowing that I was pretty much as safe as I could get meant the absence of danger and therefore my shield would have to take a conscious effort to keep going, especially for such a long time. And there was no way I was going to stay up all night after the toll my shield had already taken on me.

So I guess the earlier arrangement was a fairly good one. We girls would have to share a bed, possibly the two beds from one room pushed together, and the guys could do whatever. Not that they were homophobic, but a good majority of them tended to be movers while they slept, and they'd all end up on the floor if they shared a bed. Even the two twins from Carlisle and Esme's room pushed together.

Well then, it was decided. This would probably be the best arrangement. Sure, I'd still have to get everyone else to agree to it, but considering they would most likely see my logic, I was fairly confident the matter was pretty much settled.

We continued catching up with everyone until we were all too tired to talk. And even then, we sat and listened some more, since all the vampires present didn't exactly have that problem. What they did have were perfect memories, and so they could tell stories right down to every tiny detail. Both Pete and Esme were fantastic storytellers, although for very different reasons. Pete's were amusing and lighthearted, filled with his own unique take on things and hilarious little quips and commentary. Esme had the perfect female-storybook-narrator voice, kind and feminine, and when she told stories you could just hear the emotion in her voice. Her stories were woven with her own optimistic view on things and hopeful endings to what I would usually call bad experiences. She saw the best in everyone, and it was clear in her words. She was also terrific at painting pictures so vivid it was like you could see all the different colors that somehow seemed more vibrant in her eyes, and taste the very essence of the tale on your tongue.

If not for the fact that I kept myself vigilantly awake by pure determination alone, I would've most definitely fallen asleep in such a cozy atmosphere. Sure, we were in the eye of the storm, and I knew that this was a brief respite before a whole shitstorm of unknown proportions was unleashed on us, but in that moment all the anxiety and worry were promptly shoved to the back of our minds and locked there for good measure. We had no use worrying about something we couldn't even prepare for yet, much less actively change or avoid. It would only wear us down, and that was not something we would let it do. We needed our wits about us and we needed to function together like we always did, a well-oiled machine. And for that to happen, we would need everyone on his or her top game, not just fighting, but also in the downtime. We needed the cheery, light-hearted jokes Em and Pete made, but we also needed their serious, alert, and thoughtful sides too. We needed Char and Rose's internal strength and motivation, as well as the knowledge that if you even _thought _about throwing yourself a pity party, they'd both shove their pointy high heels in your throat. Alice's chirpy, upbeat attitude, and her wisdom and knowledge of cause-and-effect and the ripples that come from a single stone. Esme's gentle but steadfast encouragement and insight, Carlisle's calm demeanor, Edward's morality.

And of course, I absolutely needed _Jasper_. Jas. All of him. Sure, his general badass-ness and natural as well as trained fighting and tactical skill. How he made dozens of contingency plans but knew that simple was better and hardly any plan survives the actual battlefield. The way he could run through all the options, risks, and benefits the same way someone would recall their own name; instantly, automatically, and with confidence. His determination and easy but quality leadership, the fact that he could probably keep an army together on just the strength of his character alone. The way he could break free and go absolutely _wild_, cussing up a storm or whooping long and loud into the wind, one moment, then turn around to the next and be the steadfast, level anchor. I could go on and on about why I needed Jasper, and I kind of have. But, bottom line: I've died many times over to be with him, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and instant, whichever is shorter.

Maybe we were too dependent and reliant on each other. I'm sure many a therapist would cringe at how integral we were to each other. In fact, how integral _all_ of us were to each other, even though I, (or at least this version of me), had only technically met Carlisle and Esme today.

But then again, if almost_ anyone_ were to hear about all that was different in our lives, I doubt the 'unhealthy dependency' would be the greatest of their worries. Nope, _that_ would probably be the whole vampire thing, and then the powers thing, and so on and so on.

So, I simply soaked in the feel of Jasper surrounding me, relishing in the comfort I greedily absorbed from the contact, and listened as Esme's smooth lullaby of words washed over me. I kept myself alert, knowing that I could get right to sleep later, and just took in all I could of this moment. I etched it into my brain and filed it away in a recently made folder that contained all the little moments like these that made me smile. It was right next to the other ones that contained other important memories I wanted to keep with me in the upcoming changes and surefire turmoil to come, but weren't exactly fond and glowing ones. I ignored the fact that the others were fat and bursting while my pleasant-memory file was a little thing, and instead focused on the warm vibe in the room. Let it course through me and felt the rosy glow of contentment and love (as _incredibly_ cheesy and soft as it sounds) heat me up like a downy blanket, protecting me from what was to come.

Later, when I lay on my side with the warmth of my two best human girlfriends at my sides and the knowledge that the other important people in my life were just a wall away, I sighed in contentment and wished as hard as I could that no matter what happened, I'd always have them with me. That we'd always have the opportunity to create moments and memories like these.

Then I went the fuck to sleep.

**AN/: Sorry bout the little bit of uncouth language there, if it offended you. I do use cuss words on occasion, just as a warning to anyone who might be new to Destiny. To the rest of you, thanks for sticking around even through my spotty updating. This chapter's a little shorter than my recent ones, which I attribute to the same things that keep me from finishing all the craft projects stuffed in the back of my closet and why it took so long to write less than usual. **

**Thanks so much to all the reviewers, you say such nice things and motivate me, you really do. Plus, I'm loving the suggestions, they really get the ol' brain churnin'.**

**Hope you liked!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I woke up in the middle of the night. That was weird enough, since I usually slept until the same time every morning unless I heard a disturbance. I thought that was what had happened, so I sat up and slipped a knife out from under the band of my sleep shorts. But after thirty or so seconds of complete silence, it was obvious I had woken up for a different reason. Strangely enough, I felt fairly relaxed and as if I'd just had the best night's sleep.

Which was also weird. Considering I should've been feeling fatigued and generally tired.

But the weirdest thing was when I heard Alice and Rose stir and wake up. Alice slowly sat up, and Rose rolled over, rubbing her eyes. Seeing us also up, Rose silently maneuvered herself into a sitting position like the rest of us.

We looked at each other, utterly confused. But then I felt the strangest, strongest urge to look towards the door that connected us to the other room. I turned to face it, not knowing why. I just felt as if I was expecting the door to open, so I waited. Surely enough, the knob twisted and I felt a weird absence of wariness as the wood swung open slowly to reveal the our boyfriends, looking confused. They turned towards us and we shrugged. As they filed in, again silently, I realized that Pete and Char were also behind them. They looked significantly more conflicted. Probably because as vampires, they could feel the same strong foreign instinct that they relied on and follow it, while still mentally freaking out.

They closed the door quietly behind them and came to the beds we'd joined together. We moved over to give them some room, and it was a squeeze, but we managed to fit our boyfriends between us while Pete and Char sat at the foot of the bed, facing us.

We stared. We had no idea what was going on, but I somehow knew that whatever this was could only be starting to begin.

All of a sudden, the oddest feeling crept over me. It started at the base of my skull, traveling down my spine into my limbs. It was like a combination of relaxation and anticipation with a small surge of electricity. I felt…tingly. My eyes closed of their own accord, and I kept them that way as I felt the tingly static make its way into my chest. The sensation continued everywhere else, but grew in a ball at my heart. My breathing sped up, and I was startled by the intensity of the heat focused at the center of my body. I heard a gasp, one that could have come from anybody, could've even come from me. I forced my eyes to snap open and saw the others do the same. My breath caught in my throat. The odd, changing spectrum of colors-the rainbow mist-was back, covering my eyes with a filter. It didn't cut off and take over y senses like last time, but it was there, pulsating, all the same.

And…our eyes…normally, Jasper's (the ones I was most familiar with, even more than my own) were slate gray with bits of green and blue that gave them their ability to look like the churning ocean I willingly threw myself into, hoping to drown in him. Emmett's were a warm brown that put the gooey milk chocolate chips on freshly baked cookies to shame; Edward's were a sharp, intelligent green. Alice described them more than once as being like emeralds caught in the light of his brilliant mind, but that was a bit overly romanticized for me. Thinking back to my description of Jasper's eyes, I mentally corrected myself.

Alice herself usually had light hazel eyes with spots of blue that reminded me of the sky on a sunny day; open, light, and cheery. They contrasted quite nicely with her porcelain skin and dark hair. Rose had green-blue ones full of wit and her unique and awesome personality. Pete and Char, being vampires, had red or black eyes that changed with their emotions. Of course, Peter's were more burgundy and Char's were leaning towards scarlet, so they weren't exempt from distinction.

But now, all seven pairs were a shocking silver color, with an odd, electric blue ring around the pupil. The rings were uneven, giving the appearance of bleeding into the silver. That wasn't all, no that would be just _not _weird enough, would it? They were glowing. Not just their eyes, although the fourteen of them were quite bright, but their skin was giving off a light glow, too. I looked down at myself for a second. My skin shimmered just like theirs, almost as if the moon had somehow illuminated us. But the crappy hotel room had no windows, and I knew the light wasn't cast on us, but was somehow emanating _from _us.

Jasper's eyes met mine, and though the color was off, I saw that they were still the same. They were still _his_ eyes. Secure in the knowledge that whatever was happening, it wasn't changing _us_ but rather our physical selves, I slowly sank back down, my hand finding its way to his. His movements in sync with mine, our fingers intertwined and I felt the tingling energy flow through our point of physical contact. The current was moving through both of us now, and for such a peculiar thing it felt _right._

I closed my eyes again, as he did, but our bodies shifted closer together. I curled up into him and the coursing…magic, or whatever it was…kicked up a notch as we came into more physical contact. I heard shifting around us, knowing that the other couples were mimicking us without having to see it, and felt Rose's back rest comfortably against mine. My foot touched Pete's arm as it bent to give Char a pillow to rest her head on. The energy surged and met theirs, as well as their mate's (even though we were technically human and couldn't have mates, it was really insanely close and also terribly unnecessarily bothersome to keep coming up with alternative labels), and while the feeling wasn't quite as strong as the cycle between my own body and Jasper's, it was close.

I knew the exact moment the current was complete, because the resulting surge was so strong I felt my heart would burst. I wasn't even sure if it was still beating, and for a moment I temporarily lost myself. My shield exploded out of me, enveloping all of us but creating a secondary barrier around my mate. If _I_ was feeling overwhelmed by this foreign sensation, he was certainly being _more_ overwhelmed due to being able to feel it secondhand. Judging by the fact I could even do this in the first place, our gifts were somehow being heightened by the same magic that filled my body. I wrapped it snugly around him, wanting him to be extra-safe but keeping the other one strong around my vulnerable, currently defenseless family.

I heard a slight sizzle and smiled, knowing Rose's heat and Em's cold were meeting and cancelling each other out. As I had suspected, Rose wasn't just fire, and Em wasn't just time freezing. Char gasped, then exhaled slowly. Her ability to remain undetected while seeing the bonds between people was probably bursting with new information. If I had to guess, she'd just gotten an upgrade. Pete, Eddie-boy (I'd gotten used to the moniker as Jas loved to call him that, knowing it bugged him, and Em teased him with it as well), and Alice's gifts were all temporarily nullified by my shield, but they were probably getting upgraded as well.

I flexed my shield, feeling the newfound power and energy pulse there. The magic flowing through our bodies intensified until it was bordering on painful, hopping back and forth over the line with a smirk on its face. Now it was giving a little twirl and jumping firmly on the pain side of the scale. I reminded myself that I'd had worse and gritted my teeth as it continued its leaps and bounds further and further into 'pain'. My insides felt like they were being melted down into goop, or being pierced by thousands of needles while my skin was on fire. Okay, maybe not on fire, since I'd had firsthand experience of how _that_ felt now, but it was alive with teeming pain. It kept increasing, and I let out a sharp exhale bordering on a soft cry while I heard the screams of Rose and Alice. Jasper's body tensed beside me and I heard a low grunt at the intensity while Em gave a shout and Edward moaned in pain. Pete and Char weren't protected by their vampirism, judging by the harsh breathing, but something niggling in the back of my mind told me they weren't feeling _quite_ as much.

I felt increasingly glad for them as the pain kept building. I concentrated on my breathing, much like a woman giving birth, and gripped Jasper so hard I felt a tinge of guilt before realizing he probably couldn't feel it anyway around the molten agony pouring through our bodies.

My friends, at least the ones who were still mortal, continued the sounds they used to cope with this torment, but I made myself keep silent. It was probably some kind of malfunction in my personality that made me want to deny myself this outlet out of spite to whatever force was putting us through this, but whatever it was, it was present in Jasper, too. Because other than the initial grunt he'd let out, and his hard breathing, I heard nothing from him but the sound of grinding teeth if I listened closely.

His grip was tight on me too; I registered somehow in some inane part of my brain. Of course, I could barely even tell since my body was in extreme duress, but even still I felt some slight degree of my tolerance for it increase minutely from the comfort I felt in his presence.

Getting an idea, I drew the faces of everyone who was currently surrounding me in my mind. Jas, Em, Pete, Eddie, Rose, Char, Ali. I concentrated on them, on the idea that they were right here next to me even as I lay helpless while this torture went through my body. It helped, not physically as the level of the pain remained unchanged, but it gave me hope and soothed my soul. Esme and Carlisle appeared too, and even the hazy image I had of my late father appeared to give me whatever peace I could find. Places and things that normally gave me cozy feelings. The list was short, but it made an impact. I avoided thinking of Renee simply because the feelings of bitterness and regret that still lingered wouldn't be very helpful right now. I thought of all of these things and above all, I thought of Jasper. I chanted his name, all but searing him into my already fried being.

_Jasper, Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. Jas. Jasper. Jas. J. Mate. Jasper. Love. _

There was a sudden burst of even more searing, white-hot pain that had me give a surprised groan. The decibel of my friends' whimpers increased, and Jasper made a low, quiet, pained sound that had my gut twisting, while Pete and Char sounded like they'd had the wind knocked out of them.

Before I even had time to adjust, it was gone. The tingling feeling was gone, too.

Everything.

I stayed frozen for a second; just enjoying the blissful, cool absence of the waves of nerve-frying pain. Then I slowly relaxed my grip on Jasper, so that I wasn't clutching him painfully anymore. His hand on my hip eased up, his fingers flexing slightly. I opened my eyes, staring up at the ceiling. The filter of foggy colors was gone.

I realized that I could see better than I usually could. Even though it was pitch dark, I could make out the shadowy image of suspiciously stained plaster.

Pete was the first to return to an upright position, pulling Char up with him. I eased myself up to meet them, feeling Jasper's fluid presence at my back. I blinked. Their eyes…they remained unchanged, still bright blue bleeding into white gold. I blinked again. They still didn't return to their usual ruby-colored depths, but the electric blue morphed slightly. Intrigued, I stared as another ring appeared, around the edge of the cool silver iris. This one was a perfect circle with clean edges, although it was much narrower. Interestingly enough, Char's was baby blue and Peter's was a warm hazel color. If I had to guess, those were their eye colors when they were human. Yep, I confirmed, drawing on my now untarnished and complete memory of a past life where they were still mortal. They didn't blink like I had, but stared at our eyes with confusion and a bit of concern.

I gathered our eyes were not back to normal either. A glance at everyone else, who were all slowly replicating our movements and sitting up, confirmed this. Their eyes were all the same. Stunning silver, bleeding neon blue, and a slim ring of their original eye color. Maybe this was the new normal.

I almost did a double take, realizing our eyes weren't the only change. My friends looked…older. Well, some of them. Rosalie looked around the same age, eighteen-ish. Although, her features were just a little bit more defined than usual. She looked, if it was even possible, more gorgeous. Emmett, though. Em was not only even more muscular, but he seemed a few inches taller (thought I couldn't really tell accurately since he was sitting down), and around twenty years old. What little baby fat he'd still had was all but gone now. There were only traces of boyish good looks on his face. His dimples were still there, but the rest of his face seemed…harder somehow. Of course, it was Em, so he still gave off the impression of child-like adorability and humor. But I had a feeling that he could now appear even more intimidating than he could before if he tried.

Alice…Alice was still dainty as ever, but she seemed more mature. Her hair was a bit neater and straighter, and I would put her age as around nineteen. She also seemed perhaps an inch taller, and I noticed her face was more sculpted, as well. Edward looked the most like his old self. He still looked seventeen, but his hair was a slightly different shade. Maybe a tinge darker. His brows were just the slightest bit heavier, and his skin a few shades lighter. Again, I was amazed that I could make this all out in the dark. He seemed a couple of inches taller, as well, but the ratio of his height to Alice's seemed unchanged. They looked even righter than they usually did.

I turned, needing in some unexplainable way to see the one who meant the world to me. Seeing his intense stare just the same only painted with different colors struck me to the core. I noticed, almost as an after thought, that he, too, looked more mature. But my attention was turned to more who he was inside than his physical appearance. At least, for now. I felt like somewhere deep inside me, beneath the skin and flesh, tectonic plates were shifting and reforming. I felt like his eyes saw deep into my soul. I felt like the breath had been knocked out of me by the impact of this moment, his beautiful stare, all the other moments I'd felt like this coming together and making my heart absolutely melt. He must've felt similar, because we both leaned in for a soft kiss. It wasn't hungry, or lustful, or even sexual. It was just Jas and Iz sharing how we felt each other, speaking without words. Telling each other through our actions that we were together, we were one; we were…something that words felt inadequate to express.

We pulled away from the brief but powerful sharing of our souls with a newfound connection. I no longer cared how sappy or soft I sounded, all I knew was that this man…this _Jasper_…was...is…everything. I'll always be hopelessly romantic and overwhelmingly sugary when it comes to him. Call me syrup and stuff me in a bottle, because I had a feeling that I wouldn't ever be able to stop myself from thinking about him like this. And, truth be told, I didn't really want to, I thought to myself unapologetically.

I thought back to my first arriving at Forks High School. The way I thought, the way I viewed the world. It was certainly very different. Sure, objectively I was more prepared, less vulnerable, etc. Maybe even more realistic. But like I'd realized so many times before, I didn't really want to go back to being that person. The one who had nightmares every night and saw the world with only cynicism. The one who listened to only her brain because she thought her heart was such an idiot. I had to stop berating myself for going soft. This was just going to happen, and I might as well let it, since it was a good thing.

Feeling Jasper's warm, solid body against mine, I made a mental promise to never be ashamed for changing in this way again.

I almost went back on that promise a split second later when an out-of-place rustle told me there was someone else in the room. I froze, my gift kicking in and informing me that no, it was two someone-elses. I relaxed, knowing they weren't threats or my shield would've stayed up instead of seamlessly retracting and only coming out again to show me the two unique sparks that struck a chord of familiarity in me.

"Hi Carlisle. Esme. So, I take it you know we just 'transformed', for lack of a better word?" I didn't look up at them, but instead focused on the way Jasper's muscles subtly and fluidly moved under the surface of his skin as he shifted just ever so slightly to a more comfortable position. Hey, I was a horny teenager with a hot as fuck boyfriend who I was crazy for. And we happened to share a living space. And the closest thing a mortal could have to a mating bond. Then there's the fact that I could now remember exactly how he looked naked. I knew just how skillful those fingers and tongue were, and how his skin felt flush against mine. Knew how it felt to hear him call my his, his mate, his girl, over and over and the little thrill I got every damn time. I squirmed a little. As I've stated so many times before, I was just unbelievably frustrated, sexually.

Carlisle smiled tentatively, laced with a bit of awkwardness. Esme was looking us all over to make sure we were alright now, but kept her distance.

"We're okay, right guys?" I decided to just get that out of the way. I looked around and saw nods come from all sides. I gave Esme a reassuring smile and she visibly relaxed before returning it brightly.

"I was so worried about all of you! The screaming…well, I'm glad you're all okay." She was practically bursting with motherly relief, and I gave her another smile.

"I dunno about them all, but I didn't think it was that bad, was it, Char?" Pete said, scratching the back of his head in a very human gesture of confusion. Char shook her head, looking puzzled as well.

"You're all already vampires. It didn't hurt you as much." Em replied with a bit of resentment. But it quickly cleared up, his usual jovial manner returning. "I'm glad."

"Was it really that bad?" Char asked, her voice soft. She turned to face us, probably because we hadn't made as much noise and she assumed we'd be the best at rating the pain, as we'd gone through a lot of the stuff. I gave a short nod, and I saw Jas tilt his head slightly in confirmation.

"It was almost as bad as the Change. Like that time after Maria found out we weren't changing as many as she thought we were. Remember? How she punished us for lying to her?" His voice was soft, but by the wincing Pete was doing, the context now provided.

I laid a light hand on his knee for comfort. I hadn't been present for that, but he'd recounted the specifics to me later on. Just like he'd told me every little gritty detail of the torture he'd put himself through by allowing her to take her fury that Pete and Char had escaped out on him. How he'd had to pretend he'd made a mistake rather than purposefully let them go. How he'd done it out of some sense of atonement for dragging them both into that life in the first place, of what he'd done in that same horrible life. It was a big testament to how horrible he thought he was that he'd had the willpower to restrain the God of War or even the Major from tearing his wretched creator and Mistress apart and razing the entire operation to the ground.

I found great comfort in the knowledge that the bitch was dead. Two times over.

The four of us who had knowledge of the account shared meaningful glances. Through the way my gift and Jasper's were linked, I could tell that there was a great amount of awkwardness, empathetic sorrow, and a tinge of anger. Just general uncomfortableness. I was thankful there was no pity, though, because Jas, like me, didn't need or appreciate pity. It happened, it changed us in some good and some bad ways, and we got over it. Sure, there were still times when we relapsed. We could never forget, after all, so time didn't really help much in that aspect. But we couldn't change it, and we accepted it was a part of us.

I sighed happily, and Jasper's fingers, curled around my hipbone, shifted slightly at the sound. I looked back at him, reminding myself how lucky I was that he was mine. The new eye color suited him, after you get over the strangeness of it. It gave him a powerful, almost ethereal and otherworldly presence.

I mentally reminded myself to get a moment alone with Jasper, so I could fully admire his new look. The way his chest felt against my back, even more solid and maybe just a tad wider than usual, and how I could feel the definition of his abs through the thing material of our shirts were a good enough motivation.

But I couldn't do anything right now. Not only were we sharing the bed with our best friends, but Carlisle looked like he was practically itching to examine us. He was a doctor, and his curiosity as to the changes in our physical state had him drooling at the mouth. Well, not literally, but it was pretty funny to imagine.

"Carlisle, would you like to look me over? I feel very different." I threw him a bone. He nodded gratefully and came over to inspect me.

He didn't need a stethoscope or any other typical equipment a doctor would need for a checkup, simply because he was a vampire. When he was done with me, he turned to Rose who was nearest to me with a cautious but questioning look. At her nod, he repeated the swift, precise movements on her. Oh. He needed more data to compare. We were one of a kind, as far as any of us knew, so of course he would have to measure our new, altered anatomical processes against each other.

After Rose, he moved on to Em, Alice, Edward, and Jasper. He even checked Pete and Char, though I felt that was mainly to see if there was any change to a vampire's normal makeup.

"Thank you. I found this highly enlightening. If there is one more thing I can ask of you…I would like to be able to measure your performance, as I suspect they have been heightened, as well as your gifts. Such as speed, eyesight, strength, etcetera. Would you be willing?" He asked politely, though we could all see that sharp gleam of barely restrained curiosity and hunger for new information in his eyes.

We agreed.

I felt a thrill of anticipation. I already knew my eyesight was better than normal. It seemed my other senses were, as well, improved. But what I really wanted was to see if I could go faster than I normally could. Memories of my vampire self, flying through the air, feet barely touching the ground came back to me. The feel of cool wind rushing past my body, the slight distortion of the world around me. The smell of freshness at its very purest, the air rushing past my ears with a slight roaring. I missed it. Which was strange since I hadn't even really missed it until I thought about it. But running, during that time where you were at a comfortable pace but your body wasn't protesting yet, was the very essence of freedom, and it had always made me feel so happy and carefree.

More excited now, I could barely restrain myself from finding out right there, right then. I could practically taste the freedom on my tongue.

Jasper felt my giddiness, as always and pressed his smile lightly against the tip of my ear.

"Calm down, darlin', we'll be able to test out our new speed soon." The combination of his voice, his hot breath on my skin, and the promise of a good run made me practically giggly.

I couldn't wait.

**AN/: Alright, it didn't feel like I should end it right there, and it's a bit shorter than usual, still. But if I don't quit now, I'll never get this up! So…stay tuned 'till next time, kids! I may have built up the testing too much, but oh well. See ya soon! **

**And by soon I mean not soon at all, since I'm just a procrastinator like that.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I restlessly complied with all the boring tests. You know, reflexes, eyesight, hearing, etc. I barely listened as Carlisle muttered to himself and partially to us as he performed the tests. I did file away the impressive results in my 'good to know' mental file folder, though. Eyesight almost double capability, not quite the level of a vampire's but much better than human. Quicker reflexes, hearing at 1.8 times the human norm. Most of the upgrades seemed in about that area. I did notice that there were slight differences person to person that seemed to fit. Of course, the exciting parts hadn't come yet, but remembering the vampiric abilities varying from person to person in the past, I had a pretty good idea this would continue into the other upgrades.

And wow, I did not mean for that to sound as dirty as it did. I rolled my eyes at myself. Stupid hormones. Anyhow, I was impatient. My knee kept bounding up and down as I sat on the cheap wooden desk for Carlisle to complete his final tests. Jasper was watching his every move with eagle eyes. Yeah, he understood Dr. Cullen was very professional and mated, but he still didn't like anybody else's hands on me. He was possessive. I knew this from experience, and frankly I found it hot. His stare was just so…burning. His beautiful, mysterious eyes raked over my body with such intensity I couldn't help but feel the little curl of heat slide down low into my belly. I felt very womanly, and insanely, surprisingly, seductive. It was getting very distracting and more than a little awkward, since Carlisle was still performing the check up. I shot him a wink, but made sure to follow it with a reproachful glance.

He at least had the decency to look ashamed. If only for a five-count. Then he went back to his intense scrutinizing with a small smirk in my direction. I rolled my eyes. I sat there bored through everyone else's, although I was mildly amused when Pete and Char went. Obviously, they had different normal to begin with, being vampiric and all. But when Carlisle first made skin-to-skin contact with Peter (who went first), he frowned and pulled his hands away, staring at them as if they were foreign in some way. Then he placed them back on Pete's arm. The frown got deeper. Took his hands off. Put them back on again. At this point, his subject was pulling the most bizarre confused face I'd ever seen. He even tentatively brought his own forearm up to his cheek and held it there for a few seconds. He must not have felt anything surprising, because he turned to look at Carlisle with a frown on his own.

The dirty-blonde man had then placed the back of his hand on the good doctor's forehead, as if checking a human for a temperature. If that wasn't funny enough, since Carlisle was a normal vampire who couldn't get a fever even if he tried, Dr. Fang had then put the back of _his_ hand on _Peter's_ forehead. They froze like that for a while, as I tried to keep from laughing. I wished I had a camera to capture the moment, their faces both wearing matching puzzled and curious expressions as they stared into space. I then remembered I had an eidetic memory that came in handy in situations like this. Contenting myself to etch every detail of this moment into my brain so I could later use it as ammo against Sarcastic Pete, I counted the seconds as they stayed like that for a surprising amount of time.

"That's odd," Carlisle muttered as he finally dropped his arm. "Your temperature…it's elevated, for a vampire."

Pete frowned. "What?"

Instead of answering, the good doctor raised his arm and placed it next to his patient's. His eyebrow raised, and he looked up to make eye contact. "Your skin is also a few shades darker than a normal, Caucasian vampire's. It looks more…human, in color."

Under the light of the desk lamp Carlisle was using to illuminate the room better, as apparently the light was broken in this crappy, windowless hotel room, I noticed that I could now see the scars littering Pete's skin clearly. I smiled faintly at the familiar sight. He'd looked…. different…. without them. Not necessarily bad, no, vampires are naturally good-looking, after all. But he and Charlotte hadn't looked like my family, the couple that saved me and more importantly saved my mate. Not just physically, I'm sure we would've been fine there, but emotionally, mentally. Spiritually. Morally. Every other way, basically.

Char caught my smile and looked at knowingly, with a gentle one of her own. Jasper nudged my shoulder with his. I turned to see the breathtaking curve of his mouth. My heart fluttered. I loved how he looked more like the guy I remembered as him through all my lifetimes. Early twenty-something, the traces of baby fat vanished, the only traces of boyhood youth in the soft shininess of his hair and the twinkle in his eye. Of course, Jas had always looked a few years more mature than he actually was, so to be honest he could pass for 28 if he wanted to. 30 was a stretch, though. His hands had gained a few callouses from different lives and there was some early-morning scruffiness about his stronger jaw and upper lip. His skin had deepened a few shades to a warm tan that spoke of the beams of sunlight that had kissed it, and his Adam's apple was a bit more prominent. My eyes travelled downwards, taking in what I could see under the now-too-small shirt. He'd had a lithe but strong physique before and while he was still all lean-mean-machine, he'd lost the teen-boy lankiness. Very defined muscles and lower…oh, mm, _yes_…I thought back to us making love, and unconsciously licked my lips. Can't wait for _that_ part of him.

Caught up in my fantasies, I was brought back to earth with a soft, barely-there groan in my right ear. I attempted to reign in my lust with a giddy feeling wreaking mayhem on my guts. I felt a bit mischievous and was going to do some teasing, but by then Carlisle announcing we should get somewhere that we could do the rest of the tests without drawing unwanted attention. At that, my emotions quickly did a 180 or at least a 90, and I was the first out the door.

The first thing I noticed was that colors were so much more vibrant before. It was like I'd been viewing the world with some kind of gray filter on, and now it was stripped away. I'd though I'd known what red or green looked like, but it was so much…more. I could detect the subtlest changes in shade or tint, and the edges of shapes were clean and crisp, and much more defined.

It was bright outside, but cloudy enough for sufficient cover, keeping the secret of sparkly vampires from any unsuspecting humans. I had accepted that while the six of us that were still mortal weren't human, we weren't vampires either but rather a weird mix of the two with a sprinkle of some other thing thrown in for good measure. So I immediately noticed that while I could detect (with my newly upgraded vision) a slight sparkle now visible to me dancing on the skin of Carlisle and Esme, Peter and Charlotte only shimmered so slightly even my enhanced eyes had to squint and strain to see it. Their scars didn't even seem to noticeably reflect light at all. I looked up at Carlisle only to see I didn't need to call attention to this development. From this, I gathered that even with super-vampire-sight they didn't sparkle. I knew that Petey would be thrilled with this new development. Years of his grumbling about being 'mother-fucking _vamps_, for gods-sakes, what kind of elite and powerful predator _fucking sparkles?_' rang in my head, and I figured I might just convince Carlisle to not tell him about this added perk for a little longer.

Enough time for me to get in all my fun, of course. After another squeezing into the car, this one tighter since our men's now fully matured frames seemed to take up some more space. Especially Em's. The giant of a man had to slouch to fit.

I decided to start not-so-subtly, by leaning forwards to lean on the chair containing my southern 'siblings'. I'd been surprised earlier that I could now turn on a full-force southern drawn at will. Which was pretty awesome. And it had the bonus side effect of turning Jas extra horny. I swear, if we didn't get a night to ourselves we were going to either burst into flames of sexual frustration or just rip each other's clothes off and have at it not caring who was watching. The thought had me biting my tongue and trying to clamp down on my lust again before it reached Jasper. Or maybe I should just let it run and see what happens…I'm not particularly partial to these clothes…

Focus, damnit.

Anyways. What was I-yes, so I switched on my accent that seemed to combine a whole bunch of unique state twangs and decided to just come right out and provoke him. "Ya know, Petey-boy, do ya think I'll sparkle like a pretty little fairy princess like you when I turn into a vampire?" Of course, it came out more like, 'Yah naiow, Paetae-boia, daoe yah thaink ai'll spairkle laik ah praitty laittle princaess laik you whaen ah turn inta ah vahmpaire?'. In a completely innocent tone, of course.

Pete growled, Jasper shifted slightly beneath me, and Em howled with over-the-top laughter. When Pete turned to face me, making sure not to shift Char, I put on my wide-eyed innocent face and blinked twice with a sugary-sweet smile. He growled some more, then muttered, "We'll see who's laughin' later on when you join the ranks of the stupidly sparkly ones."

I raised an eyebrow. "Come on, I was expectin' better than that, Terrarium." Terrarium groaned.

"Really? You're startin' up the whole 'random nickname' thing again? How'd you get Terrarium, anyhow?" My smile grew wider. If he was letting the sparkly remark go, then that meant I had time to build up the resentment over time. Which meant that when I finally pushed him over the edge, it'd be all the more hilarious when he was informed of his un-sparkly-ness.

"I started off real simple. Peter. Your name has 'ter' in it. I figured you wouldn't take kindly to bein' called Terry, so I just used the first thing I thought of. Expect more complexity next time." He did a weird nod/head-bob/shrug thing and I let it drop.

Five minutes later, I called out, (again, as innocently as I could), "You know, Good Eats, I can't seem to remember correctly. Did that little girl say you looked like you were covered in jewels, or was it glitter?"

My target turned back to face me, eyes narrowed in a faux-glare. Not that it fazed me. Not even close. I used the innocent-bat-of-the-eye trick again. His eyes narrowed further. "Can't remember right, huh. You seem to be able to remember how I don't like that bein' brought up, though."

I shrugged, maintaining my façade. "Oh, you know me. Silly human memory. Even after all that weird juju." I acted casual, but just off enough for him to pick up on it. Char was stifling giggles.

"Uh-huh." Somehow, he didn't seem convinced. "And 'Good Eats'?"

"P_ete_r. Ete. Eat. Got it?" He nodded, kept up his playful intimidation for a few more seconds, and then finally turned back around with an empathic kiss for Char's sweet lips. I pouted. He knew that the lack of, well, _fucking_, between Jas and I and the ensuing tension drove me crazy. I narrowed my own eyes after he pointedly deepened the kiss. But I also made sure to shield my boyfriend-mate-hopefullysoontobelover from the lust they were giving off. What started as a ploy quickly progressed to hot and heavy, and Jas didn't need to have to suffer that.

The part of my brain constantly surveying my surroundings told me of no immediate danger. But there _was_ a pouting Emmett. I sighed and turned to face him.

"What's wrong, Em?" He frowned at me, but the dancing light in his eyes told me he wasn't really upset.

"It's just…it's been awhile since you called me anything, and I'm feeling a little left out, is all." He sounded like a six year old who'd gotten put in time-out.

"Aw, don't feel that way, Brother-Bear. I'm just tryin' out different things to see what will annoy Petting Zoo the most for the next five years or so. I already know what to call _you_, so I don't need to run so many test trials." He seemed satisfied with this reply. And by that I mean, he sniffed, nodded, and planted a fat kiss on Rose.

I almost facepalmed at his childlike tendencies. By the time we'd driven out to some deserted area that would do for the next phase of tests, Em had already picked a few inconsequential fights and was quickly unraveling my frayed nerves. But his booming laughter meant I couldn't stay mad at him for long. However, being in a vehicle with both Pete and Em when either was feeling particularly mischievous was not very pleasant. They'd started arguing about the color of Peter Pan's jacket, for the sake of all that's holy. His. Jacket. And it had quickly devolved into pouting from both participants and a tired sort of amusement from everyone else.

But once I stepped out into the fresh air, those thoughts dispersed from my mind. The anticipation that had been ebbing slowly over the much-too-long car ride came back full force and I had to force myself to wait for the others before testing out my new speed or strength.

I did convince Carlisle that the best, and most importantly most fun, way to test the speed portion was to simply have a race. Everyone would participate and Esme and Carlisle would represent the average vampire speed. Even though these things could vary, there was a certain range and luckily both seemed to fall somewhere in the middle of that range.

I could just see the competitiveness in the air, as all of the men present tended to have a certain streak. And not only that, but Rose was also focused on the finish line. It wasn't too long of a race, especially considering the fact that we all had better than average levels of endurance. It was more of a sprint than an actual race, but it still served our purposes.

Rose had stepped up to everyone else with narrowed eyes and hands on her hips, threatening all present with evisceration if anyone even dared to think about cheating. It escaped nobody's notice that she made extra eye contact with both her mate and Peter, both prone to bending rules. They wore matching pouts until Carlisle started counting off to the start.

"Alright, 3…2…1…GO!" At the 'g' sound, we were off. The feel of freedom and air rushing against my skin like a fresh gossamer veil of the finest silky material the world had was just as amazing as I'd looked forwards to. I pushed myself, admiring the way I didn't tire as easily as I had before, feeling the light impact of the ground beneath my feet. I let out a peal of laughter that was carried away in the wind. I felt like I was soaring, almost capable of flight if only I could go just a little faster. I heard several answering giggles and whoops for brief moments before they were swept away and left behind us.

Any worry I had was temporarily suspended, as I focused on the cool, light feeling enveloping my body. It was almost as good as kissing Jasper. Which said a lot, because nothing was as good as kissing Jasper. About halfway to the designated ending point, I noticed that we mortals were actually a few paces ahead of the normal vamps, Carlisle and Esme. Esme was last, Carlisle ahead of her, then came Em, Rose and Jasper neck-and-neck, me only ahead by an inch, Alice, and Edward. Alice being so swift was no surprise, as she had always been light on her feet, graceful, her dainty toes seeming to flit slightly above the ground. Edward being the fastest one, though, was at the same time expected and unexpected.

Expected because he'd always been the fastest, yet not so because in this lifetime I'd somehow envisioned that Alice would be just a foot faster. Maybe because of the way she seemed to float an inch off the floor or dance across a room.

Meanwhile, Pete and Char were racing for the lead. Each time one pulled ahead of the other, their mate would put on some steam and gain just enough speed to come out in front. They both were a few yards ahead of the rest of us, and that was to be expected as they were already vampires as well as mixed with this juju. I was, however, surprised that we were able to pass an average vamp. I'd expected for us to be slightly slower. Interesting. I supposed later it would make more sense. If you thought about it, in a fight or flight situation we could only choose flight as we were still more breakable than a vampire, or on an occasion that we couldn't, we would just try and stay on a defensive side and speed would help us more than almost any other physical attribute.

Char won by a hair, and Jasper broke the tie between himself and Rose by a nose. The three pairs of us who still needed to catch our breath did so with wide grins on our faces. There was something about going for a good run when you weren't as bothered by the physical strain. My heart rate was slightly elevated but not as much as it would be if I were still a normal human, the same as my breathing. Carlisle made sure to take note of this in each of us. I could just see him filing these findings away in his mental files like I so often did.

I felt a bit disappointed it had ended so quickly, but I knew that I would have the chance in the future to go on more runs. I made sure to mentally bottle the feeling of absolute freedom I'd felt to store it away for the wait in between. Alice and Rose half-heartedly grumbled about the state of their clothing and wind-whipped hair, but I just ran a hand through my tousled waves and kept on grinning. I was also secretly glad I hadn't worn the more flimsy not-so-much-made-for-durability-but-rather-fashion clothes they had. The speed had taken its toll on their outfits, evidenced by the small and various rips and tears, especially at the seams. Their mates eyed the new additions hungrily and I fought a smile. My clothes, of course, were not unaffected, nor were the men's. But it wasn't as bad as our two fashionistas', a fact they grouched about more.

Carlisle seemed eager to move on to the next stage of tests, which was using our powers. It made sense that they would be increased, and as we hadn't ever been in this form before we had no idea as to the extent. The more powerful they were before our Change, the stronger they'd be after. And we had to be on our top game for what was coming next.

Pete started, since he was a vampire and had the least likely chance of overloading himself. I slowly pulled away my shield and he went frozen for a second as info rushed in. I had adjusted my shield to only let in a few items at a time so he wouldn't be distracted or overwhelmed. He couldn't see future events, but he could wade through all the complicated shit and find the simplicity, his remarkably strong intuition and conclusions drawn from barely anything also were a part of his gift. But it was more than that, it helped him to see clearly and figure things out better than any normal knack or skill for the same thing.

He blew out a breath and turned to Carlisle. They had a conversation at vamp speed. I found the fact that I could now catch the odd word and the fast moving of their lips interesting. Of course, I still couldn't actually hear the entire conversation, and lip reading was out of the question. But I did hear them mention 'Volturi', 'Aro', and oddly enough, 'fish'. Although, the last one might've been part of some name-calling. I hadn't directly interacted with any of the Volturi before, but I knew they were the reason all this juju was happening. Carlisle had spent some time with them, simply relieved to find a coven that was at least somewhat 'civilized'. That was, after all, how they appeared on the outside. Carlisle's odd diet quickly became an issue, as Aro saw it as weakness, and so he left.

Aro, Cauis, and Marcus. They were the three 'Kings' of vampire society, who passed judgment through their Guard and the Volturi. The Guard was the more esteemed officers of the Volturi, which was the dominant coven of any. It was quite large and spread throughout the world, and had many other affiliations and allies. Their main stated rule was to never reveal the secret of vampire existence to any humans, or they shall be Changed or killed, and the offender shall be punished. Usually, death was the punishment for both. The Guard all lived in Volterra, Italy and call their Kings their Masters.

Aro, the uncontested lead of the three, was the spokesperson and front face. It was also widely understood but never acknowledged that he was the real and singular leader, the dictator of our world. He hid a cruel and self-serving personality under courteous and often even friendly words. He did whatever he wanted, and if he met too much opposition, he'd either eliminate them outright or go about it in a much more sneaky and underhanded manner. His gift of tactile telepathy gave him the ability to read all the thoughts you'd ever had through a single touch, giving him a huge advantage. It also helped in his behind-the-curtain control, as he could simply lie about seeing a traitorous threat and have the often innocent vampire immediately disposed of. He was the one who built up the Guard of mostly Gifted vampires, gaining support and power, and overthrowing the former rulers, the Romanians. He is known for coveting particularly useful or strong Gifts, seeing them as gems for his collection and doing anything to acquire the vampires that hold them. His mate, Sulpicia, was secluded with the mates of his brothers so as to 'protect' her. Little was known about her, but it was said she was often overlooked by him because of his power hungry ways. His blood sister, Didyme, was Marcus's mate and had the ability to make people happy. He saw this as useless, and when the pair started getting desires to leave, he killed her.

Thanks to a very useful Guard member named Chelsea, he secured Marcus to the Volturi with strong bonds of loyalty and therefore Marcus still lives every day with the pain of losing his mate, though he never found out her killer. Aro is very careful with this secret, as he knows that the mating bond and its prerogative come first and would eclipse the manufactured bonds.

Marcus is the bored one, choosing not to participate in anything unless he has to. Instead, he daydreams and longs for his mate and is the only one who may be halfway decent. His gift was being able to sense Of course, his passive role allowed Aro to control the Volturi singlehandedly more easily, as Aro only has to get Caius on board and he will have majority. Cauis's love of bloodshed makes that easy.

Cauis, Aro's brother and fellow King, is known for being vicious and loving gritty violence. He didn't care if you were an innocent, he chose to cause as much despair as possible. He had a great propensity for hate and a highly ambitious drive, and so Aro chose to make him a fellow King knowing that these traits were strengths but also weaknesses easy to exploit. He had no gift and his mate was Athenodora who was kept secluded with Sulpicia after Didyme's death. He was also known for hating werewolves and drawing great pleasure from nearly extinguishing them after being attacked by one.

Another important member was named Corin, whose gift was to make people content with their situations. She was the main reason the Volturi worked, along with Chelsea, although she was kept more of a secret since Aro didn't want the general vampire population to know that people were discontent in the first place. The only reason I knew was because of Peter, a few lifetimes ago. It was a random piece of information, but we made sure to hang onto it, as we knew we'd need it in the future. After all, a much more effective way to destroy a coven was to get them to do most of the work for you. And most vampires do not like finding out they've been controlled.

After their very brief conversation, they made a concentrated effort to seem like everything was just fine and dandy. We not-quite-vamps knew better, but wordlessly decided as a group to drop it for now. We'd find out later.

Char was next, with her ability to get a good sense on what a person's like and their likely decisions, basically their frame of mind. She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind for a stranger. She made a small noise of content, showing us she found one, then gasped.

"What's wrong, honeybee?" Pete asked, immediately at her side with a concern written all over him. His stance was protective, defending his mate from the invisible threat.

Reopening her eyes, she turned to look at him with a reassuring smile on her face. "Nothin', buttercup. It just took me by surprise, that's all."

Pete looked mostly reassured, though there was still a slight crease in his forehead. "What took you by surprise?"

She looked at Carlisle, then at the rest of us with a slightly astonished look on her face. "I can get a read on almost everyone in the city. Every. Single. One. It's not as confusin' as it was before, and I can keep track of their shifting views all at once. Clearer than they were before. Especially the ones that might be threats or just important or significant. And I can keep track of people I met in the past and decided to pay close attention to. Even now, though they aren't real close."

"That's amazing, sunshine! Though, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise to me. Everythin' about you is so amazin'." Pete smiled like a lovestruck fool then kissed her soundly, and his level of cheesiness still managed to make Char melt into his arms and bring a smile to our faces at their cuteness. He wasn't crude _all_ the time, after all.

She shook her head, clearing it of the daze she'd been in. Pete smirked when she wasn't looking. I could just see his 'ego meter' go up three notches. Then she frowned slightly. "But…it's odd. I feel like I'm missing a few people. And it feels…not right."

Pete was quick to reassure her. "I'm sure it's just the Gift settlin' in, babydoll. It's nuthin', everythin's fine." She smiled at him after a brief hesitation. I felt a little twinge of unease set in, but pushed it aside. Pete was probably right. It was nothing.

Since my shield could potentially help to prevent the overload of my friends' gifts, I volunteered to go next. First, I started off by seeing how far I could expand it. I centered myself with a deep breath and flexed my shield. I propelled it outwards, leaving it its characteristic shimmering blue, as far as I could. I found I could shield a good thirteen feet diameter easily. Without immediate danger or extreme emotional duress, that was how far I could make it expand in a single shot. I glanced at Carlisle, and he nodded, confirming that he'd taken mental note of the fact.

I proceeded to gently push it further outwards, thickening it as I went. I watched it creep outwards another few feet, but by the time it was around twenty feet in diameter I was straining for each inch. Then each centimeter, then millimeter, and finally I realized I would probably give myself an aneurism if I pushed any harder. I was sweating, my entire body pulled taut as I focused all my mental energy in overcoming this challenge. I didn't want to give in, but I could feel my limited human brain starting to struggle.

Jasper's gentle but firm hand on my shoulder finally convinced me to reluctantly allow my shield to snap back into me. I let out a slightly wheezy breath, doubling over slightly and shaking my head. I just needed a moment to regain control, that's all. So what if I was feeling a little dizzy.

Carlisle had gotten closer by the time I looked up again. The concern in his golden eyes was easy to read. I smiled, though not as brightly as I'd intended to, and assured him I was fine.

"I think I want to see how much force I can handle, now." It took several more reassurances, but I eventually got the okay to see how much I could block.

We started small. Emmett threw rocks with increasing levels of force. He graduated to bigger and bigger chunks of things, until he was lifting boulders and struggling slightly to hurl them at my shield. Peter smirked and took over, easily flinging about huge projectiles. I taunted him into running full speed at my shield, and only 'oomf'-ed a little when he made contact. My shield absorbed the impact and had him staggering back more than a few feet. I smiled my cockiest grin, but screwed my eyes shut for a second when no one was looking. I shook off the odd dizzy feeling I still had with vengeance then resumed my normal behavior.

Carlisle expressed genuine interest in the other factors of my gift, such as the length of time I could keep up my shield, how the duplication worked, and so on. But seeing as we didn't have time for the former and I didn't want to copy any of my friends' gifts, still feeling guilty for accidentally gaining Rose's, we moved on.

Because Edward's couldn't cause much physical harm, and would likely benefit the most from being tested while my shield and I were prepared, he went next. His eyes darted around nervously and he slid his hands into his hair to prepare himself. He was fidgety and nervous, but also curious and determined. I eased the thin layer of shield I'd been keeping on him so as to protect him off. I warned him with a meaningful glance when it slipped all the way off and he closed his eyes and brought the hand that was tangled in his hair to the bridge of his nose. I tapped into Jas's gift and felt the confusion, wonder, frustration, and stress he was feeling, as well as the slight pain. I was glad that the pain wasn't greater, surmising that the upgrades must've taken his gift into account.

Carlisle gently asked his questions after a few moments. He made sure to keep his voice low and soothing, as we all remembered how Edward's gift could be painful sometimes. The gift in question surprised us all by apparently not being as overwhelming or harsh.

In fact, Edward was grinning, relieved. "It's like what Charlotte described earlier. The voices that aren't really of importance to me are dull, more like a gentle buzzing than anything else. And I can hear thoughts further away than usual. If I had to guess, I'd say double the range." Alice, naturally drawn to her pleased mate, beamed up at him.

But then he frowned a little. "That's odd…Izzy's silent to me, naturally, with her gift. Jasper's kind of white noise, as usual. We all agreed that it probably has something to do with their mating bond. Everyone else is slightly muffled, and that's probably also caused by the strong bonds we have with each other, and her shield not fully being able to leave any one of us. But…" He trailed off, unsure. Then shook his head with a smile that was only slightly forced. "It's probably nothing."

By this point I was getting suspicious. I expanded my shield again, this aiming it in a specific direction and keeping it invisible so as not to alert anyone to my doings. It took less energy than it had before, mostly because I didn't need to make it block anything so much as send feelers out. I was slightly surprised and amused to find Jasper had the same idea as I did, shooting him a wink when I felt his distinct gift reaching out to the edges of the clearing. But I didn't find any sparks, and I could tell he couldn't feel any emotional signatures lurking around.

I pulled back, but that didn't mean I stopped being suspicious. Oh, no. Something was definitely wrong.

But Edward was suddenly freezing up, just as my ghost of a shield swept over him. Voices invaded my mind. Jasper twitched at my side. Everyone else looked around strangely, looking for…something, or someone.

_Oh my god! That bastard! Thinks he can cheat on-__**Shit, shit, shit, shit, I should probably pull up my pants, Michelle's going to k-**__He has a girlfriend? That bastard! Oh my god-__What did she ask me for again? Oh, yes. Credit card….hey! Where's my-__**Poor fucker, thinks he lost his credit card. Hm, how long do I have before he reports it stol-**__Fuck yeah! That girl is so hot! I wonder if I can-__Eugh, there's a creeper staring at me. I hope he doesn't try and-__**Oh god, I'm so high. Is that? Swim, Fucker, swim! I'm-**__Oh, wow, John's so high. I can't believe he's trying to swim in a parking lot. Does he really think he's chasing a shar-__What would it feel like to have a penis? I mean, guys are always complaining about it, and having such vulnerable balls…hmm. I mean, seriously, does it really hurt that badly to be kicked in-__**Oh, yes, it's time to feel some young pussy with those wrinkly old dick of mine, it's gonna feel soo goo-**__This guy's a little old to be paying for my services, isn't he? Oh, well, as long as I get my money. I wonder if Robbie is gonna gimme a discount again, it's been too long without a hit. Maybe if I give him a blow-_

I couldn't think straight. I could hear all the inane musings of the people just out of sight. Was all that really happening at the same time at that little hotel just around the trees? Wow, so much drama. And that last one? That's just nasty. I felt my shield snap back around my mind as I tried to cope with the onslaught that Edward was transmitting. And it all ended as suddenly as it started. I shook my head. Whoa, whiplash. The dizzy feeling I'd had before cranked up a few decibels. There was a dim ringing in my right ear, but I ignored it again.

Jasper looked at me with concern. He knew me better than I knew myself, and while I smiled at that, I made sure to give him a look that said, 'I'm fine'.

He didn't look convinced, but trusted me to tell him on my own time if it was important. I felt a twinge of guilt, but brushed it off. I was fine.

"Edward, I think your gift was just broadcast to us all." Carlisle stated, plainly already going through possible scenarios in his mind. "Did you do anything different at all? Anything that could've resulted in this new and interesting phenomenon?"

The male in question shook his head, looking confused as all hell. Carlisle frowned, looking puzzled. "Did anyone else do anything?"

I thought back to the moment. It couldn't be….could it? "Uh, I was messin' with my shield a little." I offered, after a moment of bewildered silence that no one else broke.

Carlisle took the idea and ran with it. "Interesting. Then again I suppose I should have expected your gifts would interact in special ways, as it goes with the section of the prophecy about being stronger together than apart. It would also explain as to why this particular reincarnation, so to speak, is so special. We all already theorized all of you being together was paramount, but…" he trailed off, softly mumbling a few words here and there. His eyes were glazed over and all sparkly, so I knew he was lost in thought. Esme drifted closer to him and the rest of us stood awkwardly by, waiting for him to snap out of it.

He only seemed to come out of it after Emmett yawned widely and loudly. Taking in our faces and expressions, he smiled somewhat guiltily, before sharing his theory with us.

"I apologize for the complete lack of decency I exhibited there, I tend to get caught up in new knowledge sometimes, though I know that is no excuse for my behavior." We smiled at him, telling him without words we didn't mind.

"My best guess for this interesting new phenomenon is that your gifts are designed to work together to enhance effectiveness. As to why Izzy's in particular, seems to be particularly potent, is most likely because of its unique nature. Peter already informed me that it mostly deals with protection, and since she willingly and purposefully has placed us under it, it has evolved in ways to best do its purpose. I theorize that this projecting of thoughts is another facet of Edward's gift that will manifest after the Change, and Izzy's shield can activate it as a means of fast and discreet communication in a danger situation, to better preserve you before you join our vampire ranks. I think that perhaps her shield can magnify these facets, suspect it works in a similar way with all of your gifts, and presume that they are not in play because it would drain you while you are still mortal. I also suspect that your gifts work together in different ways, as well, with each individual gift boosting up everyone else's. Particularly those of your significant other, since they are your mates, or at least the closest they can be without either party being a vampire." His eyes were lit up with possibility, and I felt a little uneasy.

I suppose it was because I now realized just how different we were. We were something new entirely and apparently we were supposed to save the world or something like that. Overthrowing vampire royalty? There were so many expectations and I didn't want disappoint. I was used to having only myself to answer to, and only my own expectations to live up to.

I calmed myself as best I could. I was never one to freak out unnecessarily, until this whole twist started, and I didn't want to become one of those girls that has a panic attack every time some new little thing happened.

Alright, Pete, Char, Edward and me had already gone, so the question was: what next?

Em decided to ask the question on my mind and we all collectively shrugged. This was new territory for everyone.

"Alice? Wanna give it a shot?" Alice looked up, surprise flitting across her face before she nodded, albeit a bit hesitantly.

I signaled that I was pulling my shield off of her, and she tilted her head in recognition. She took a deep breath and her eyes glazed over immediately. Edward, who I was shielding from having to share the visions she was having, gripped her hand in support.

When she came out of it, with a shake of her head, she looked like a mess of emotions. I could make out terror, confusion, determination, and love among them, but she refused to share what she'd seen. The future was a heavy burden on her thin shoulders, and I briefly thanked whatever deity was out there that I didn't have her gift.

When Carlisle asked, she simply stated the improvements on her gift. I noticed she specifically avoided saying anything at all about the actual content of her visions, simply stating some things needed to be kept secret.

"I can see multiple different paths, it all depends on decisions that are yet to be finalized. I noticed I could also seek out a future, but…well, Izzy is kind of an empty spot, but I can tell when she has someone else present. I was expecting that, though, with her shield, but that's not all. It seems almost like…something's _blocking_ some specific visions from me. As hard as I try to seek them out, there's some kind of obstacle in the way. I can't explain it." She gave a frustrated little sigh, at which Edward immediately drew her into his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Something about not worrying about disappointing anyone.

I sympathized with that feeling. As far as I could tell, one terrible flaw most of us shared was taking responsibility for every little failure even if it wasn't our fault. Damn, we should see a therapist or something. Then again, with all our issues, I doubt any therapist could successfully navigate all our crazy.

Besides, we'd have to kill them for finding out about vampires. I almost chuckled, thinking of the cheesy line, _I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you._

Oh, god. I have more things wrong with me than I thought.

I had this nagging feeling that we had to hurry up, though, so I suggested that Jasper go next. This was mainly because I didn't want Rose to set fire to our vampy friends or Emmett to accidentally freeze everything forever. Also, maybe a little bit of me wanted to see my sexy man in action. It always turned me on to know how powerful and confident he was. All our gifts were essential parts of us, but his was almost like simply an extension of himself. While my shield was like an extra limb, his empathy was like his very essence, only amplified. It was amazing and embarrassingly arousing to watch. It didn't help that him using his gift as a weapon usually had led to hot fucking in the past.

The slant of his smile told me he knew my ulterior motives. I made a face at him behind his back, not caring how childish I was acting.

I quickly got distracted by the way his muscles moved under his sun-kissed skin. He'd had a bit of a tan before, which definitely stood out among Forks' pale and sun-deprived population, but now his skin was the shade I remembered. None of that orange spray-tan stuff, his was the result of time spent outdoors, working, playing, laughing. It brought back memories of his heated body gliding across mine and I had to swallow my lust before I jumped him right there. Jasper…shirtless…sweaty…hnngh.

God, a simple tan shouldn't affect me this much.

I felt a small burst of humor from Jasper, tinged with a hint of answering desire. I smiled back at him, and couldn't help licking my bottom lip a little. His eyes darkened a shade or two. I forcibly collected myself. _Bad girl, Izzy. No time for that._ I saw him pull himself together and felt a light wave of giddiness ghost along my shield.

It was subtle, and as I looked around I saw that my friends didn't notice it. They did, however, seem to lighten up a little. Jasper added some more of the emotion, this time intertwined with elation and humor. They wove together in an understated but brilliant way, causing our friends to smile without realizing it.

He kept building his concoction up, until we were full-out laughing our asses off. Even I had trouble keeping peals of laughter from erupting out of my mouth. My shield seemed softer when it came to him, naturally letting him in just enough to have my cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

I was almost too distracted to recognize the soft curls of bitterness joining in the fluffiness of the existing emotions. When I did notice, though, I immediately concentrated on his new direction of emotion. A small pit of anger started building up, gradually enough that Em went seamlessly from guffawing boisterously to glowering without even realizing why.

Soon, my friends were seething and it would take only a little to start a massive fight. Interestingly enough, Esme looked completely benevolent. She was staring off into space, and I knitted my eyebrows in confusion.

She seemed almost like she was under a completely different set of emotions.

Interesting. I stared in the rough direction of Edward and Alice, mulling it over.

I didn't have time to dwell on it too much, though, because the next thing I knew Edward was rushing at me. I reacted instinctively, and the next thing I knew he went down hard. He was flat on his back on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. The emotional influence Jasper had been exuding had cut off abruptly and only a beat later, Edward went rigid. He looked like his spine had suddenly been replaced with an iron rod, and his eyes were unseeing. Soft whimpers came from his mouth, and Alice bit her lip, glance flitting from Edward to Jasper nervously, rocking back and forth. She seemed to be holding herself back from running to her mate's side.

Jasper, though, he looked murderous. He was glowering at Edward, fists clenched at his sides and daggers flying out of his eyes. He swallowed, hard, before taking a deep breath. I stepped over Edward, throwing him an apologetic glance that he probably didn't see. He was shaking now, and I hurriedly glided over to Jasper's side.

I laid a gentle, tentative hand on his bicep, noticing that each and every one of his muscles was tensed. He was holding himself back, I realized with a start. He was very much aware of the situation and knew that it was Edward currently incapacitated on the ground. His posture screamed dangerous. His eyes were quickly darkening to a flat black with only the bleeding neon blue ring. He looked absolutely feral, but I knew him well enough that he was focused on shoving the Major back and keeping the God of War in his cage. Somehow, I had a feeling he would be quite different if they came back full-force.

Something dark stirred inside of me for the first time. Loki hadn't been in this body before. Apparently, she was waking, deep inside the shadows. I shook it off, trusting that Skydd and I could hold her back. She wasn't thrashing, which was a good sign. It was more like…she was stirring. Probably awakened by the proximity of her counterpart in Jasper.

I rubbed his arm, trying to help. I whispered to him how he knew it wasn't Edward's fault and there was no threat to my life. He relaxed in tiny increments, taking deep breaths and trying to rip his eyes away from Edward. I knew that he had simply reacted violently to what he saw as a threat to me, even if it wasn't our friend's fault.

When he finally turned to look at me, his eyes were more normal. Of course, all our eyes were weird to begin with, but they were no longer black. They _were_ much darker than before, but I was confident that he was fully in control now. He dropped a kiss on my lips and pulled me into his side. He turned to face everyone else sheepishly, his free hand running through his hair.

"I'm real sorry 'bout that…I just…I dunno what came over me. Nah, that's a lie, it was…well, I'm just real sorry for not controllin' myself there. Especially because it was kinda my fault anyway, I shoulda' pulled back on that anger there. Sorry, Edward." He gave a sheepish smile, stuffing his hand in his pocket and looking down at the ground like a naughty child.

Edward, who had recovered by now and was sitting on the ground lightly panting, just grimaced. He waved off the apology and gave one of his own for trying to rush me. I countered with an apology for staring at him, because I should've known better. If someone's out of their mind with fury like that, what they perceive as a threat or challenge can be something as simple as accidental eye contact that's held for a second too long.

Once everyone was alright, Jasper made a report of the changes to his gift. "I found I could focus more on individual people, which I tested by sending Esme lighter emotions than the negative angry ones I was using on everyone else. I also noticed I could send more of a potion or variety of different emotions at once, which allowed for a more subtle intrusion. I wanted to explore the possibility of slipping someone emotions while going undetected. I found it was relatively successful, with the exception of Iza, here." He gave me a small smile, before resuming. "I tried expanding my radius and noticed that I could also feel from a slightly farther distance, though I had to stop myself from trying too hard because it was starting to be overwhelming. I was going mostly by my memories of my gift from previous lives, and, well, let me just tell you I was used to a more durable body." His small hint of a joke at the end kept it from being too cold and impersonal, but otherwise he was sticking mostly to the facts he'd garnered.

Delivering results like that was a hard habit to break. No time to waste on pleasantries or speculation, I knew he only added the few exceptions as a conscious effort.

I tapped his bicep to get his attention and smiled up at him when he indulged me. I went up on tiptoe enough to whisper huskily in his ear. "I have…_very fond _memories of _just_ how durable we were…made for some _interesting_ times, no?" While letting my finger trail slowly down his arm.

He froze for the briefest second, but by the faraway look of lust, love, and desire in his eyes, I knew I had achieved my goal. Keeping a giggle to myself, I resumed my earlier stance and acted like nothing happened. I had half a mind to start humming overly innocently, just to draw it out, but thought better of it.

I wonder which incident he was replaying? I was thinking of the one that resulted in a dead exercise ball and half a room destroyed. Or maybe the time we were responsible for enough damage that the locals were still talking about the 'tornado' that had ripped through town. And can't forget the giant tub of margarine…hmm…good times.

Anyway, Brother Bear was coughing awkwardly. He kept glancing at us quickly and then looking furtively away. Clearly, he hadn't missed my flirtation. I smirked at him. It wasn't like he and Rose were any better. At least I wasn't mauling Jas's face in a very public mall. He ducked his head and looked at me sheepishly, knowing what I was thinking.

"Well…shall we proceed?" Carlisle asked, after having tended to Edward. Emmett cast a sideways glance at Rose, who raised an eyebrow.

"The question is…which one of us should go first?" Rose asked, addressing the rest of us but only having eyes for Em.

Brother Bear broke out in a wide grin. "Rock, paper, scissors?" He suggested, the same goofy expression lighting up his features.

Rose, as always, rolled her eyes. She then made a shooing motion with her hands, telling him to go first, already. As always, he complied. I mean, most of the time he was so whipped that when she told him to jump he didn't even have time to ask how high before he was already in the air.

First, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. I recognized the moment when everything just stopped. I looked around, still finding it bizarre. It was eerily quiet and the stillness was making me uneasy. Em broke the silence with a whoop that sounded strangely out of place. He went around, peering closely at our frozen friends. Jasper, who, as always was automatically shielded from the effect just from being my mate, shifted his weight from foot to foot restlessly. I could tell it made him edgy as well, this supernatural lack of movement.

Em eventually closed his eyes again and inhaled. Though, this time, he stopped mid-breath, opened one eye, and grinned to himself, before continuing. To my surprise, movement resumed, but not in the way I was expecting. Everything was slowed down. It was surreal, and this was coming from _me_. After every fucking thing that happened I still found it in me to feel bizarre about that.

Well then. I strode thoughtfully around the slow-mo sideshow. It was funny to see their confusion and how it would slowly dawn on them that they were bein' messed with by Em's gift. The process of emotions playing out across their faces was slowed to a crawl. I especially took this time to study the resident vampires' faces. Usually, their initial facial cues and immediate reactions were too quick to see. Even with my boost-up, they were hard to catch.

So I strode up to moon-speed-Peter and smirked in his face. Watching as his eyes slowly rolled to face me and he registered who I was served to be more entertaining than I thought it would be. I saw each emotion pass by his face, wariness, surprise, recognition, fondness, amusement, anticipation. I knew everything he was feeling almost as surely as if I shared Jasper's gift.

First, I stuck my tongue in his face, causing him to scrunch up his features and flinch away in an almost dramatized, delayed fashion. I giggled, pulling my tongue in. He relaxed, returning to his previous position, but before he could I was making a show of fake-licking my hand and holding it next to his face. He repeated the flinch thing before he realized there was no actual spit on my hand. He narrowed his eyes at me in a slow-mo glare, and it reminded me of pissed off kitten. Though that was most likely because he didn't really pose much of a threat right now. A fact that really frustrated him, as he attempted to catch me around the waist. I easily evaded his grasp and took great pleasure in his irritation. He'd been a vampire for decades, so this kind of taunting was probably about a once-in-many-lifetimes opportunity. At least, until I was, too, a vampire. Even then…

I held out my hand for a handshake, offering him a truce. He sighed and tried to take it, but I dropped it at normal speed. Then I got up in his face and said "Too slow", with a shit-eating grin on my face. Immature? Yes. But so was he.

Of course, that was when Emmett, seeing my taunts, decided to return everyone to normal speed. I had little warning, just enough for my eyes to widen and my legs to begin going in the other direction. But, of course, I was no match for super-vampire speed and soon found myself in Peter's arms, being given a noogie of all things. I sighed, relaxing myself in his grasp and resigning myself to my fate.

My vision obscured by my long hair, I wasn't sure what happened that had me back on my feet a moment later. All I saw was Jasper's boots approaching and suddenly Peter was standing apart from me, an innocent look plastered all over his face.

By the time I had my hair sorted out, Jasper was glaring at him. Although, it lacked any kind of real threat, as the corner of his mouth was twitching upwards. Pete just looked down, his toe drawing patterns on the ground like a naughty little kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It was adorable, really.

Char just rolled her eyes at her mate and gave me a 'what can you do?' look.

I giggled. And I don't fucking giggle.

I guess I just couldn't help it. This rollercoaster of events was fucking with my head, I'll tell ya. I allowed myself to revert back to my inner stereotypical tween for a beat before pulling myself together.

Turning towards Em, I saw Rose in his arms with a look of complete adoration on her face. I let them have their moment, facing towards Pete and Char again to give them some privacy.

"Really, Peter Pan? A noogie? What is this, elementary school?" He just gave me a shit-eating grin and shrugged a shoulder.

"What can I say? I guess it's just a part of my natural boyish charm." I scoffed at that. Charm? Peter? Never.

Jasper seemed to be thinking all the same lines, because he just laughed. "Boyish charm. Is that what you call that one time where you were trying to provoke a bear and it pissed on you?" I made a show out of high-fiving my mate. Pete scowled playfully.

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "What about when it then tried to mate with you?" I raised an eyebrow. This was the first time I'd heard of this. They each had enough dirt in the form of stories like this on each other to build a freakin' mountain, but most of it was shit they'd gotten into together. Although, Pete was usually the one who convinced any of the rest of us to get into it with him.

Without missing a beat, Jas just smirked, gave a half-shrug, and said, "I can't help if I'm just too sexy like that. I guess it's just a part of my natural primal charm." We all laughed at his cocky statement, and the way he threw Pete's words back at him. Even Pete gave a snicker, though he covered it up quickly.

"What about when we were wrestling and you landed in a giant pile of bat guano?" he challenged. He didn't like not getting the last word in, after all, and I had a feeling they could keep dredging this shit up forever.

"I think you're forgetting the fact that when you were too busy laughing your silly ass off, one of said bats started trying to attack you. Remember? You freaked the fuck out, screamed like a girl, and walked backwards into more bats. I still can't believe how high your voice got." Jas got a glare for that. He batted his eyelashes in return, a gesture which I thought I would never, in a million years, see on him. "I know I'm sexy, Pete, but keep the looks up and I'm afraid Char will rip your dick off." I couldn't keep my laughter in, even doubling over and feeling tears well in my eyes.

Peter hastily looked away, and I swear he'd be blushing if he could. He took a step back and mimed gagging, before recovering and letting out a loud hoot of laughter. Char was doubled over and laughing at my side, and we leaned on each other for support. Though, to be honest, it was more me hanging onto her, as she was a super-vamp and I was still human. –Ish.

Jasper was chuckling, and spreading the mirth around. I was the first to shake myself and try to recover. Though it was hard to, because their laughing was setting me off, not to mention Jas's empathic influence. I managed to contain my laughter enough to face away from the group and back to everyone else. They were all watching with amused looks on their faces, and I ducked my head while smiling and still holding back chortles.

"Sorry," I murmured, though I only half meant it. It was a welcome distraction, and hey, everyone copes in different ways, huh? The foreboding unknown of our future was wearing us down and being silly was a way to bring some much needed happy to my life. I needed it.

They shot us understanding smiles, and Rose took a deep breath. She then walked out to the center of the field, and told us in no uncertain terms that she'd like to get this over with as quickly as possible without hurting anyone. She looked at Carlisle, and then at me, asking if we had any ideas for safety precautions. Carlisle, I'd imagine, because of his vast knowledge, and me because of the insight my gift provided since I'd copied hers.

Carlisle just shrugged, looking uncharacteristically clueless, though he did offer a few basics. "I honestly don't have much experience dealing with gifts such as yours. I would imagine we'd have to give a wide berth, and be on higher alert than usual, as well as be extremely cautious. In the end, I suppose, it all comes down to anticipating any mishaps and trying our best to dodge and keep ourselves safe."

When her searching gaze landed upon me, I hesitated. I thought before I answered her, reaching with my gift to the copy I'd made of hers. I kind of….stroked it with my gift, for lack of better word.

I spoke almost without realizing it. "Rose…I'd say you should try to remain as calm as possible. Your gift is tied heavily to your emotions, as most of ours are, and if you are set off by anything it could get unruly. Also, when you're experimenting you should build slowly. Fire, after all, can get out of hand quickly. It's a hard element to control but it will listen to you. As far as I can tell without you having used it after the uh, upgrade session, as long as you control yourself it will do whatever you want it to."

She nodded thoughtfully. Then she closed her eyes to center herself and when she opened them you could almost see the flames dancing before her eyes. She was looking in the general direction of Carlisle and Esme, and her arms seemed to begin rising of their own accord. Before she could start, however, Peter gave a little shout.

"Rose! Uh, I can't say why, exactly, but…ya might wanna look at that tree there 'stead of any of us. And Dr. Fang, you and Esme might wanna give it a little room." She looked at him quizzically, but let it drop. She indicated her acceptance and redirected her gaze to a tree. Carlisle and Esme moved away from it warily.

Rose seemingly tuned out all the possible distractions and concentrated again. I was concentrating so much on my sister, in case she needed any help I could give, I almost missed it. Out of my peripheral vision I saw a flicker of fire burst into existence just as she tensed and relaxed. I snapped my head over to look at the tree, where a small flame was quickly growing as it met fuel. It had turned into a decent, but surprisingly slow-burning fire before it began to curiously shrink. I turned my gaze back to Rose, keeping the tree also in my field of vision. She was concentrating very hard, her right arm raised toward the fire, hand outstretched and curved slightly as if caressing it fondly through the air.

As she slowly flattened her hand, exhaling, and pushed it downwards, the fire followed her motions. It grew smaller and smaller, though at several points it seemed to try and rebel and grow larger instead. In those moments, Rose's breath would hitch, she would take a deep breath, and bring it under her control instead. Jasper was sharing her emotions with me, and I knew the moments were caused by her feeling hesitant and suddenly second-guessing herself. I wanted to reassure her and express my confidence in her in hopes of bolstering her own, but I held my tongue. This was something she needed to do for herself.

When the fire was finally gone, she dropped her hand, but didn't tear her gaze away from the tree. It was blackened at the base, but still standing. When she furrowed her brow and suddenly brought her arm back up, bent at the elbow, drawn up near her shoulder, and hand flat as if about to push something, I knew that wouldn't last long. And I was right. With a shove of her hand, the tree seemingly spontaneously combusted, lighting on fire from someplace inside itself and quickly being consumed by the hungry flames.

Rose felt oddly relieved, as if it had taken some weight in her chest with it. I thought about it for a second, then realized it made sense. As far as I could tell, the fire wasn't an extension of her so much as an embodiment of her essence itself. It wasn't part of her, it _was_ her, at her very core. Being able to express it in all its destructive but beautiful glory must feel…cathartic in a way. Like holding your breath for a vampire. You could still function and it wasn't painful, but it felt uncomfortable and you were shutting off one of your senses.

Of course, as my gift gave me insight into the core nature of her gift, it also keyed me in on its strengths and weaknesses. I saved them in a folder marked 'Soon, but still later' in my mind to discuss at a further time. For some reason, I just felt I couldn't do it right now or I'd ruin it. What, I don't know. Just…it.

I realized I haven't made much sense in my head since moving to Forks, Washington. My train of thought, my mindset used to be so straightforward and easy. Now, my thoughts were convoluted and twisted back into themselves. Not to mention they were a lot wordier. I cursed my romantic past-self again for bringing the trying-too-hard-to-be-profound tenure into my thoughts, and a few of my others for somehow making my inner monologue's vocabulary so stocked-full of unnecessarily long words.

Then again, since they were now part of me, I figured I couldn't really do anything about it. Those personalities _were_ me now. There was no separate distinction, really.

Wow, I sound like I should definitely be locked in the loony bin. Yep. If I ever voice any of these things out loud, I have no doubt I will be considered crazy. Maybe human doctors would even insist I take a rainbow of pills and try to lock me up for treatment. I mused on these idle thoughts for a while, picturing different scenarios where they tried to force me into a straightjacket. I found them probably much to amusing, especially considered I wasn't even sure what a mental facility was like now and I could probably easily avoid them with my upgrades.

While I was distracted, part of my brain had been keeping up with Rosalie's playtime. For it was truly play for her. Her smile was bright and lit up her entire face as she allowed a flame to dance and twist up her arm like a pet snake. This was after she'd used it to write her name in the air. There was some more of that kind of thing before she had to stop. She'd shown that she had intimate control over her gift, after she'd gotten over her own doubt and self. She'd have time to play later, and we couldn't really try to test the destructiveness of her gift without setting fire to the whole state. Which wouldn't be good.

I imagined Smokey the Bear looking at her with a stern look of disapproval, surrounded by miles of black, dead trees and tried to contain my inappropriately-timed humor.

We hashed out a few more things about each of our gifts, testing them against each other. Emmett found he could cover his hands with ice, or something like that, after attempting to hold Rosalie's while not realizing they were on fire. Their hands had sizzled slightly and we had looked horrified, thinking he'd burned himself. Then we'd seen that his hands were a noticeably ice. He'd looked shocked but proud, shrugged, and figured whatever gods were up there had taken the whole 'fire and ice' thing literally. Freezing time and freezing objects? It was almost unfair, as it seemed like two almost completely unrelated powers. Pete had pouted a little, before contenting himself in the knowledge that he could probably convince Em to freeze some things for him. But so far, Em could only freeze his own hands so that they turned almost-clear with a slight pale blue tinge to them.

I found out my shield was fire-proof, which was a good thing to know. I could even surround one of Rose's flames in a mini-shield and use it like a floating torch as long as I shaped it like a fish-bowl so it could still get oxygen from the top. I could also just close it all the way up and then kill the flame, but that wasn't as fun.

What _was_ fun was using my shield as a means to lift things or bring things my way. It would appear to the others like I had telekinesis or something, but in reality I was shaping my shield and moving it around to manipulate objects around me. I could even do it to myself, allowing me to 'fly', although it was more like riding a magic carpet. So…hover. Or float. Not quite fly. I could gently move around but not very fast.

Jasper played a few tricks on us, of the empathic kind. At one point he had Char slapping Pete, then kissing him, then slapping him again. Of course, he apologized afterwards and a simmering Char had slowly cooled down after seeing his sheepish face. She couldn't resist that shit, just like I couldn't resist Pete's puppy dog eyes. After checking with me to shield her from the possibility he could just make her un-angry, of course. She then found it hilarious, leaving Pete pouting.

"With great power comes great responsibility," he'd snarked out accusingly, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "So where's the responsibility part?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow, probably because of Pete's random Spiderman reference. Before he'd had the chance to retort, however, Em had been shrieking. Apparently, Rose had come close to lighting his eyebrows on fire, though we all knew it had been an empty threat.

After we'd laughed and razzed him about it a little, we realized we would have to be wrapping this up. it was already noon, though I actually thought it'd be much later, and our time-frame wasn't exactly forgiving.

Next was the strength testing. This part was the one Em was looking most forward to, as we couldn't exactly use the most elaborate forms of testing. No, this was going to be an arm-wrestling contest. As I wasn't quite as interested as my Brother Bear, I kind of fast-forwarded through the whole thing in my mental log.

But the results were as follows: Strongest went to Pete. This was expected, as male vampires were physically stronger than females though we had the upper hand in other fighting assets. And he was an enhanced vampire. Second, as also expected, was Char. Then, Carlisle and Esme, in that order. Vampiric strength still reigned superior. Thankfully there hadn't been any accidents with broken bones or anything like that. Next, Em. A fact that he was proud about but was, again, typical. None of these results were actually very surprising. Jas won the next spot, narrowly beat by Em. Edward beat me for the one after J, but only by a small margin. As you can guess, I came in eighth, with Rose in ninth, and Alice brought up the rear.

The crude 'experiment' confirmed my beliefs, but Em had really, really wanted to see what he could pick up now. So we spent another half an hour taking turns at seeing if we could lift various objects he pointed out. A fallen tree. A particularly large boulder. Even a huge chunk of dirt. While this was easy-peasy for the vamps and quite ordinary, we found it surprising when holding things we couldn't have picked up before. I guess this was one of those times that Em's ideas weren't completely stupid. Not that he wasn't intelligent, because he was. But usually when he suggested things with that cheeky smile and mischievous glint in his eye, they turned out with us shaking our heads in that Emmett-will-be-Emmett way at him.

Before we knew it, time had flown by while we were messing around and throwing things at each other like five year olds. If five year olds could pick up an entire fucking boulder with ease, that is. All of a sudden, we all stopped, standing still in the middle of the field. Pete, who had been zooming and zipping around messing with us and generally showing off, cocked his head to the side like a puppy. Char, who had been chasing her mate around in an effort to make him stop, slowly gravitated towards him. When she was in arms' reach, he pulled her to him, his head down in thought.

I felt a distant echo of the electric tingling hum that had surged through our bodies. I shuddered. Jas appeared at my side and wrapped me in a soothing embrace. I laid my hand on his around my waist and listened to my body.

There was something wrong. Not necessarily bad, but unaccounted for. It was like a little piece of information was jiggling around in the back of my head, a feeling that mystified me.

When Skydd's voice filled my head at full volume, I flinched and would've fallen on my ass had it not been the suddenly frozen form of my mate holding me up.

_IZZY! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE! NOW!_

Numbly, I stood still in shock for the space of one thudding heartbeat.

_NOW!_

I turned, feeling Jas echo my movements, 180-ing us in unison. The small pang loss at the discontinuation of our physical contact reverberated through me as my friends caught on to my lead and turned with me. I saw the world in slow motion, not being able to act fast enough as a feeling of overwhelming dread filled me.

Jas's voice rang out, breaking through my muddled hearing. I whipped my head around to see what was causing the overwhelming need to be as far away from this place as fast as possible, but it was wasting time, so I turned back just as the last words left his mouth.

"We need to get out of here! Right now!" His voice and Skydd's bounced around in my head in unison, a perfect harmony of foreboding. I used all of my new speed, no longer being able to savor the feeling of almost-flight. There was just adrenaline rushing through my body and my heart pounding in my ears. My instincts hissed at me not to turn my back on an unknown enemy, but my head told me whatever was coming was a fight I couldn't win. At least not yet. Not while I was still human, and unprepared.

We were speeding towards the car, but I couldn't even think of sitting in it. Not when we could go just as fast on foot and not have a conspicuous vehicle that might be followed. No, it was safer to run.

Somewhere in my head, it occurred to me that we were most likely going to have to abandon the hotel rooms. Whoever it was that we were running from probably knew about them. We'd used names and hadn't exactly been cautious. After all, we were _not_ expecting this to happen. Any of this to happen, really, except for the part where we reconvened with Pete and Char.

Well, I thought wryly to myself, at least there'll be something to distract Alice and Rose from losing their stuff. I remembered a few weeks ago, when Alice had been moaning over the loss of some bottle of beauty gunk. She hadn't shut up about it until yesterday. Yesterday.

It didn't matter too much to me. Yeah, I regretted losing things I'd spent money on, but in the end all of it was easily replaceable. It's not like I'd brought anything sentimental or important to me and left it behind. I idly reached a hand up to gently stroke the chain around my neck. It was an old filigree locket that my mother had passed onto me when I was young enough to still have a dad. Inside was a picture of the two of them, smiling and happy, my father in his police uniform and my mother lit up in a way she hadn't been since he died. Since before she needed the alcohol to keep away the demons.

This, my dad's old badge, and a thin silver bracelet from a life long ago, where the only items I couldn't ever replace. The badge was still in Forks, and everything else was in a discreet and secure hiding spot I'd picked out. These things were priceless to me, for sentimental reasons. Just like my Jasper, in his last life, had clung so closely to things from the era of The War Between The States. (He liked to call it that, as 'nothing about that war was _Civil_, nothing'). He'd had nothing but the clothes he'd been Changed in and anything that had been in his pockets to remember his human life with. And even those had been destroyed by Maria. One little lump of metal, the remains of someone trying to shoot him. That was all he had, and then only because it had been imbedded in his body and pushed out as he turned. He didn't have anything else. Only our last human life had been truly happy, before we were turned. I could still remember harsh words and harsher people, the hurt faded but still in my memory. As for the lives farther back, they weren't quiet as fresh, the wounds closed up and healed with nothing but a thin scar left behind.

I sighed. As much as I hated it, I knew that you couldn't remember the good without the bad. That wouldn't help. We are a sum of our past experiences, after all. However trying or messed the fuck up they would be.

My body seemed to feel the phantom ache of the trials I'd gone through. Torture, some quiet creative actually. Injury, self-harm, beatings. Assault, knives, guns, bullets, even a surprising amount of shrapnel and explosions. Violent deaths and cruel acts. The list went on and on, and I needed to get my mind off this topic or I'd start to feel the emotional side creep up on me and I had to be able to breathe right then.

I looked to my side, where Jasper was running. From this angle, just behind him, the light cut across the strong angle of his jaw and cheekbones so that I could see the determination to keep everyone safe in the very makeup of his person. I remembered how lucky I was to have him, and the demons and darkness subsided. Sure, if I thought too much I'd maybe get freaked out that I loved him so much it might destroy me, but life is too short to hold back your love. Even if life isn't short, it wouldn't have any meaning unless you loved something the way I loved Jasper. Love Jasper. Will always love Jasper. So much I can't possibly describe it. It'd be like trying to describe colors to someone who's been blind their entire life. You've just got to hold onto that as much as you can.

I took a deep breath. Man, that was unnecessarily deep. I need to shake this off. Okay, what do we know? Whoever this is found us in a field far from where we usually are. Well, most of us. Maybe they're targeting Char and Pete. There were three, and since I was tapped into Jas's gift, I knew they weren't newborns. Too calm and rational, there was even anticipation and violent feelings.

They could be just a small coven of random vampires who happened upon us. But this was within Pete and Char's territory, so if they were than they were stupid to be trying to hunt on it. They would've had to deliberately ignore their instincts, something vampires just didn't do.

The probability was far, far less than the chances that it was the Volturi. Besides, the timing was just uncanny. They were after us, chasing us and usually ending our various lifetimes. But, this time was different. They knew it as well as we did, which was probably why they decided to attack and nip us in the bud.

But how had they found out? How had they found out we had been…reborn? Did they know? Was it just Pete and Char they were after? And now…did they know we were back, and what would that mean?

The wind had been helpful to us, so they probably didn't catch our scent right away. And even if they had, they might've been new and wouldn't recognize our scents. There were too many if's and I had to fight to keep going away from the source of potential answers.

I didn't like that we were running away. It went against my very nature. But strategically, retreat was the best option. We had plans, and those didn't involve those Volturi fuckers descending upon us full force while we were still human. I also knew that none of us had any intention of letting them get word back. If they didn't know that we were back, then good for them. We'd let them leave and report that their mission had been a failure. If they did know, they wouldn't waste time informing anyone back in Volterra. No, they'd try and bring us back. They'd be too determined to track us down and abduct us to phone or text anyone. And if they captured us, we'd make sure to destroy their means of communication, and hopefully, them. If they didn't, which they probably wouldn't, well, they wouldn't inform anyone before they had to. They would put off having to admit they let us slip through their fingers. We'd just have to waylay them before they could get back.

Aro would assume Pete and Char had neutralized them. That was beneficial for two reasons: 1) it would make him more wary than he already was about them, making them a bigger threat in his eyes (not that they weren't a threat, because they were), and 2) it allowed us to only make our comeback known when it was more helpful.

Edward's gift would've told him. We'd first have to get to a safe place so he could share that information.

I then thought of something else. These vampires sent out had most likely been the ones blocked from Charlotte's gift. Damn.

I'd hoped we'd have at least some peace while we transitioned into vampires. Apparently, that was too much to ask. The worst part was I had a feeling more shit was about to hit the fan. Because when it rained, especially on us, it fucking poured.

**AN/: Okay, so my updates are not faring well in the realm of timeliness. I'd expected this chap to be out sooner, actually, but I got sick and then had to make up all that homework…stupid excuses, I know, but it's the truth. I hope the length makes up for it, though it isn't my best work….I typed most of it still coming off of a fever and my brain may have been a bit addled. Not to mention, a good idea would be splitting this into two chapters and polishing each to kill two birds with one stone. (The birds being raw lack of refinement and slowness in updating). But, to be honest, it's three in the morning and I can't be bothered to do more editing and hold off on the updating.**

**What can I say? I'm lazy as fuck. Anyways, to those who actually felt like reading my blabbering here at the end, hope you enjoyed at least a little. Can't say when the next update will be, because as you can see I tend to break those kinds of promises. Sigh. Me and my stupidity. I apologize. **

**-SGS**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Regroup. Okay. We can do this.

We were on the road, squeezed into an older van we'd 'borrowed'. Carlisle was at the wheel, Esme tucked half into his side from her position in the shotgun seat. To save space, we were all on each other's laps again; my ass was seated firmly in Jasper's lap in the seat, Char's nested securely in a similar configuration beside us, held snugly, as ever, by Peter. In the back, our four other group members were all squished together in the seat meant only for two and a half. Even after they'd found the best possible Tetris-esque positioning, they did not look comfortable. Their situation was made worse, no doubt, by Emmett's wide bear frame.

Then again, it was such an insignificant detail when compared to everything else. It was probably just about the last thing on any of our minds. We'd found the van once we were certain we'd lost the group of likely-Volturi, in order to (hopefully) end our scent trail. It was a nondescript, dark, and slightly dented vehicle, and we had chosen it in an effort to blend in yet have at least a little more space than dead sardines. Our numbers made finding the right vehicle slightly more of a hassle, but we were not about to separate in the face of the danger that seemed to be racin' towards us at full-speed.

It was Pete that broke the heavy silence.

"Are ya'll thinkin' along the same lines as I am? Volturi?" He didn't need to elaborate. We gave our assent in unison without having to peer around at each other. It probably would have been creepy to any outsider, that synchronicity. I had a feeling Pete would've made some smartass comment about it if the situation wasn't what it was. I almost wished he'd do it - be less sober and serious - if only to get some illusion of normalcy. I then huffed at myself in annoyance. I'd already established we weren't ever going to be normal, so why did I have to keep bringing it up?

Normal. Psh. Yeah, right. Doesn't sound nearly as fun.

I found myself growing angry very quickly, the irrational response just serving to piss me off even further. I needed to be calm and levelheaded, not emotional and illogical. But there'd been too many threats and odd occurrences, and my nerves were way past frazzled. Plus, it didn't exactly help my mood when Skydd was pacing nervously around and around in my skull. Ruffling her fur, tensing each muscle - as if getting ready for some kind of battle. If she was on alert, then I was too. She was there to help protect me - _us_, and the fact that she was huffing to herself and not even bothering to hide her wariness only served to highlight the 'oh shit' factor of the whole deal.

I let out a puff of air, hoping to make myself focus. Skydd stopped her pacing, seemingly trying to help me do just that.

I felt a small pathokinetic push from Jasper. The gentle encouragement seeped slowly through our skin-to-skin contact. I relaxed softly into him, letting it trickle through my shield just enough to help me center myself. I let myself settle into him. He was so warm and solid beneath me, arms wrapped protectively and comfortingly around my waist, hands draped along my hips. His breathing and heartbeat helped to slow my own. I breathed deeply; inhaling his scent and feeling my mind become clearer. I could almost visibly see the changes, my vision sharpening along with my mind.

Addressing Edward, the level of collected authority in my voice briefly surprised even me.

"Did their thoughts give any indication of their purpose? If they were in fact Volturi, did you gain any information on their orders, their mission, or anything else that may help?"

I spoke evenly but firmly, and he immediately adopted my to-the-point attitude. I saw him visibly straighten, pulling himself into a more rigid position. He squared his shoulders and his presence seemed to increase. Body language made a big difference, and he _did_ seem different from the Edward I usually saw. He wasn't as…curled in on himself. Alice seemed to sense the change in him as well, turning instinctively to look at him with a hint of an encouraging smile on her lips. The atmosphere in the van shifted from nervous worry to a quiet determination. I could feel Jasper behind me, straightening in response along with everyone else. Though I was sure it was not from his gift, I could almost feel the strength radiating from my other half.

When Edward spoke, his voice was calm and measured. There were no 'um's or 'well's or 'uh's.

"The aggressors weren't thinking _specifically_ of their orders or mission. Their thoughts were largely concentrated on not alerting anyone to their presence, and about Charlotte and Peter. There was no indication that they even knew about us, but, of course, we can't rule that out completely. However, they did seem like a cohesive unit. Almost definitely Volturi. The structure would fit. There were three of them, one in charge and gifted, another, greatly gifted, and one for extra muscle. Their standard unit they send to monitor high-level threats - those they think will put up a fight and are either gifted, or have fighting experience, although in this case it's both. I have a suspicion that Aro underestimates Peter's ability, though. He did not seem to hold it in very high regard, especially since he did not bother to send both Alec _and_ Jane. Nonetheless, they were not the extermination team that hunted us in a few of our previous lives. From their minds, I gathered that they were Felix, Demetri, and Alec." He ended his report with a controlled little nod of his head. I saw everyone visibly chew the information over.

If they didn't know we were there, the members would not have had the need to shield, filter, or alter their thoughts. If they did know we were there, they wouldn't have sent only three, they'd have sent a larger team comprised of several of their most efficient units working together.

We knew those names. Felix would be the muscle, Demetri in charge, and Alec the gifted. They must not be taking it lightly if they sent one of the 'Witch Twins'. Then again, Pete and Char were pretty formidable. They hadn't been able to survive this long by being bad at fighting. Hmm…Demetri's reputation wasn't very good. His gift was being able to track down anyone he'd touched before. He was known to be cruel and unmerciful, as well as being someone who got off on others' fear, pain, and misery. Felix wasn't supposed to be as bad. Strong, smart, but not overly harsh or cruel like Demetri. As for Alec, his gift was a powerful one. He could make a sort of fog that took away your senses and left you incapacitated, though he had to kind of build it up, especially when taking on a large group. Like I said, if they sent him, that meant they weren't being _completely_ stupid.

Still, Aro was a fool for underestimating Pete and Char. And I wasn't just saying that because they were my family.

I didn't know much about Alec, other than he was usually with his fraternal twin sister, Jane, and very quiet. He did what the Kings asked of him, but had rarely spoken, according to all intel we had gathered.

After relaying this with the others, they nodded. Carlisle, who had spent time with the Volturi before as a young vampire, added a few details here and there, but seeing as how he had been the one to tell me most of what I knew, he didn't really have much.

"Wait, Carlisle, have either you or Esme come into physical contact with Demetri?" I could almost hear everyone holding their breath. If they were able to be tracked, if they had been touched between our lives, then our odds would decrease dramatically. We most likely would not be able to flip Demetri and have him held up, but taking him out could not be feasibly done without consequences that would end this all before it ever truly began. At least not until after the point where Aro would send him to take the Cullen couple, anyway.

He thought for a moment, going through all his memories, before shaking his head. Low-level Volturi spies had visited Peter and Charlotte before, who had tried to pretend they weren't affiliated with the vampire government. It seemed as if we were lucky enough to have the Volturi only making a major move now. Suffice it to say; those would-be spies had been dispatched. And since the Volturi didn't claim them as one of their own, they couldn't kill my brother and sister off in retribution.

That was when Carlisle decided to ask a hesitant question.

"I…don't seem to be getting the complete picture here. I mean, there was obviously a threat, Volturi from the looks of it, probably after Charlotte and Peter, but how did you two pick up on it first? Before us vampires?"

That's right. He didn't know about Skydd and the Major. Wait…did he? I squinted through the haze of muddy memories. Just because they were officially mine didn't mean they were very clear.

In my previous lives I'd had a regular memory, so a lot of the memories were missing much in the way of detail, and they were all mixed together. Those that had not been highly necessary throughout my life were nothing more than feelings and impressions. The farther back I went, the harder it was to remember. None of the clean and simple filing system I'd been used to. I had never appreciated my eidetic memory more than in that moment. But, I didn't think he had the knowledge. As far as I knew, he'd only lived the one life. The magic mojo excluded him.

I leaned back fully into the _very_ comfortable embrace of my mate, letting him take over the explanation. He took the cue, directing his attention to the everyone, ever so slightly and shifting a large hand on my hip for a better position. I closed my eyes, letting my mind drift and the pieces to slowly float together on their own while losing myself in the vibrations of his voice reverberating through the points where his chest met my back.

When he was done, Carlisle was once again wearing his thoughtful face. Jasper let it sink in for a while before clearing his throat, at which Carlisle gave another sheepish smile. We all looked at each other knowingly, Esme stroking his arm fondly.

"Alright. So, if we first assume the likely scenario, the Volturi would be checkin' up on Char and Pete here. They didn't know we were there until the actual near-encounter. They're most likely comin' after us or preparin' to. Plus, we need to do somethin' bout our lives back in Forks. Obviously, we can't go back to them. We need to come up with some story to cover our backs. We have enough people after us to worry about without dealing with a missing persons thing. Best case would be faking our own deaths, but I don't see how we can do that with the resources we have, at least not right now. What do we have in terms of supplies? I'm thinkin' we should pool what we can together." Jasper looked around, making eye contact with each person. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"We have around 180 bucks in cash." Pete offered. "As well as our cards, but plastic is so traceable…"

"Other than that, we really have nothin' much that can be much of a help…"Char finished.

"I think we should all agree that none of us touches our plastic until we're set up enough to send someone out to withdraw cash and mislead them at the same time," I interjected. At the rest of our group's assent, I motioned for the conversation to continue. I cursed the fact that none of us were really prepared. Especially Pete and Char, who had only planned for a night out, expecting to return to their place shortly.

"We have around 1,000 dollars. In cash. It's our emergency money and we figured we should take it. We also have several untraceable disposable cell phones as well as a few different ID's for myself and Esme. Of course, we also have our credit and debit cards, so when the opportunity arises we have access to our funds." Carlisle completely changed the game. Sure, $1,000 may not be enough for us in the long term, but it was more than expected. And the burner phones and ID's? That meant we could maintain communication if separated without alerting anyone, and also buy some necessities.

"I…think I speak for all of us when I say we don't really have anything really all that helpful. I think between me and Emmy here, we have around eighty bucks in cash, but that's it." Emmett, Alice, and Edward all nodded in agreement.

"Alice and I probably have around…two hundred, maybe?" He looked to the pixie for confirmation.

"Um, yeah, that sounds about right. I had more in the bags for shopping purposes, but…" She let it trail off. I nodded. Money was always good.

I thought back to what I'd packed for myself and Jasper. "Between Jasper and I, we have maybe $500, a bunch of knives, a few burner phones, some lighters, plenty of duck tape for some reason, our plastics, some razor blades, a few other blades, one and…a half lock pick sets, and a few more bits and ends. The blades and shit obviously won't help much in a fight against vampires, but I figure we can use them in case of other emergency. Like…cutting stuff. I guess. Stabbing and slicing are more what they're made for, but oh well."

Satisfied I'd covered about everything we had that could benefit us, I looked around. Everyone's faces, except Jas's, were blank. Em's held a look of mild awe and surprise, but the rest were unreadable. Until Pete twitched, and started laughing loudly. "What?" I asked while scowling. I had a feeling he was laughing at us.

"It…figures…you'd have all that shit! Paranoid much? Who brings duck tape, burner phones, lighters, and a fuckload of blades an' knives an' shit to a vacation slash happy reunion?" I huffed.

"_Smart_ people, that's who. People who aren't gonna let you use any of that shit now that you've gone and made fun of them." Pete immediately starting pouting playfully.

Em chuckled, then made a big show of giving Pete a bear hug. I noticed how Pete tensed ever so slightly when Em started, but old habits die hard. You can't just suddenly not have the instinctive reactions bein' in the environments we'd been in had ingrained in us. And, since all that had happened in his current life, I was proud he'd managed to tone it down even that much.

Rose, of course, smiled adoringly at them while simultaneously smirking. Only she could pull that off. "Awww, isn't that adorable? Izzy, their 'bromance' really is something, isn't it. Hey, Pete, does Jasper know you're cheating on him?" she snarked.

I chuckled and high-fived her, if only to make Pete fake-scowl more. Jas laughed with me, shaking his head a little. He then struggled to keep the laughter off his face as he turned to Pete, put a hand to his heart dramatically and proclaimed, "Peter Whitlock! How dare you do this to me?" in an overly-dramatic voice.

"I thought we had a really good thing going. And now I find out you're carrying out a secret bromance behind my back? For shame!" We all laughed at that. Especially when Pete and Em played along, acting out a hilarious scenario that had us all in stitches.

Bromance. Huh. Never thought that word could actually apply to anything, but it was kind of the right term. Especially between Em and Pete. But…who would've been 'cheating' on whom?

The majority of my brain zoned out for a second or two, working out the logistics in this web of bromances. So, Jas and Pete would've had the original bromance, since Pete is technically one lifetime behind Jas and two behind Em and Edward. Then, it would be Jas and Em, next would be Jas and Edward. After the reunion Pete and Em would form the next bromance followed by Pete and Edward. Because I think we all know Edward takes a little warming up to. But then, it would really boil down to our very first lifetime and who met who first, right? The memories were almost too fuzzy to make out, just little blotches of color and occasional sound. So…you know what? Too complicated. Let's just call it one giant bromance. Maybe a bro-orgy. Brorgy. Heh heh. _Although_…

What? They were all hot, it'd probably be the best porn ever. Though, I was more than happy with just Jasper. He could be my own personal live porn. Hell, he already was. Even though it'd been _much_ too long…

Shaking myself out of yet another lust-induced stupor, I had an odd sense of déjà vu. Okay, maybe not all that odd, since I'd been horny for him a hell of a lot lately. I allowed myself one last eye-fuck, admiring his strong jaw, broad shoulders, and firmly toned muscles. And even though I couldn't see it from here, his fine as hell ass. Not to mention his easy, panty-dropping smile, or the slow southern drawl that was beginning to color his words more and more. Plus, I loved him. Loved his laugh, his personality, his occasional snark, his dirty talk, the way one of his eye teeth was turned ever so slightly, just enough that there was a cute little gap there. And, I could definitely remember him walkin' around in just a pair of low-slung, well-worn jeans, his hat, and his beat-up cowboy boots, looking like a hot cowboy wet-dream on legs. Could you really blame a girl for wantin' to jump all that?

I could tell when he sensed my train of thought, because he immediately pulled me in close, smirked against my neck, and kissed my pulse point lightly. The soft brush of his lips set tingles all through my body, and I tried to reign in the shiver of pleasure. His smile grew wider against my skin, and I slapped at his knee to bring both of us back to reality.

"Okay, _lovebirds, _I think we should keep drivin' for a little while. I dunno why, but somethin's tellin' me we gotta keep goin'." Pete said, pointing to his head. His gift. I realized everyone in the backseat were also in similar positions as Jasper and I had been in. Although, Rose and Em were more mauling each other and Alice and Edward were mostly just smiling and staring into each others' eyes, sharing the same breath. I grinned unabashedly and threw in a wink for Pete. He scrunched his nose at me.

"Well, Pete, that's what we'll do, then." Jasper said, running interference between us. Me and Pete tended to get into little 'spats' often, though our banter was all for fun. Still, though, sometimes it would drag on for hours, days, even weeks.

Anyhow, he was speaking for everyone. We trusted Pete and trusted his gift. Especially 'cause it had a tendency of being right. He usually didn't like to call it a gift, but mostly because to him it just felt like a strong intuition, like a gut feeling you just know is the truth. Only lately had he begun to acknowledge that that shit's a gift. Plus, with the 'bonus pack' that had included information that he had no way of knowing just popping up in his head like it'd always been there, it must've been getting pretty hard to deny.

"Good. And don't think I don't know you were tryin' to save Sass over there from a verbal smackdown of epic proportions, Major." I stuck my tongue out at him. Yeah, yeah, it was immature. Bite me.

"I think you should be glad, Pie-face. You'd be the one goin' down."

"Of course I'd be the one goin' down. Just ask Char," he retorted effortlessly with a saucy little wink.

"Oh, no, don't drag me into this!" Char knew better than to get herself entangled in our verbal sparring.

"I would, if I could hear her response over the sound of….what now? Oh, yeah, me _kicking your ass_ every time we do this."

"Yeah, right. I think you've got it all mixed up. But that's probably because you haven't gotten laid since your last lifetime." I glared at him. He was bringing _that_ up?

I decided to go in for the kill shot instead of dragging this out. Something I've found? Threaten a man's private parts and it'll shut him up real fast.

"Keep on goin' that direction and the first thing I will do when I wake up for the last time is rip off your dick so _you_ won't be getting' laid 'till your _next_ lifetime." His eyes grew wide and his hands immediately covered his junk. With a gulp, he immediately dropped the subject.

"Alrighty. Mrs. Cullen, ma'm, would ya mind turnin' on the radio?" he asked, with his most innocent yet knowing look plastered across his face. She took one look and immediately reached for the knob, smiling endearingly at him.

_Gone like a freight train,_

_Gone like yesterday,_

_Gone like a soldier in the Civil War,_

_Bang bang_

I immediately recognized the song as Gone by Montgomery Gentry, and at the line about the Civil War soldier, couldn't help but sneak a look behind me at Jas and stifle a chuckle. I couldn't help it. A glance around the van told me everyone else was thinking along the same lines. Jasper scowled playfully as the sneaking looks turned to outright staring at him, just waiting for someone to laugh first.

_Gone like a '59 Cadillac,_

_Like all the good things_

_That ain't never comin' back._

We didn't even make it to the chorus before a peal of Alice's bell-like laughter rang out. We all soon followed, as Jas tried to pout while simultaneously grinning broadly.

I knew Pete had 'known'. That's why the timing was so impeccable.

It really wasn't something that should've cracked us up like it did, but Jasper had been damn proud of his military service. Sure, the only ones with real memories of his hobby of getting all the books about the era that he could and highlighting then correcting errors were me, Pete, and Char. Also, probably Alice. Which would include Edward by default. So, really, only Rose, Em, Carlisle, and Esme would be out of the loop. But I knew they knew enough to conclude the rest.

The atmosphere in the minivan was much lighter, so much so that you could almost forget what was looming over the horizon. So I did, if only for a few more minutes of lighthearted conversation.

We were in the middle of making fun of Em for once swallowing a cue ball when Peter suddenly froze, came back to life with a flurry of limbs, and yelled 'Stop!' at the top of his lungs.

"Uh, okay, Pete. Spaz attack, much?" Em said, before realization hit him. "Oh."

"Yeah. Um, Carlisle, just…over there would be nice. Yep." Carlisle dutifully pulled into the Walmart parking lot, easily finding an empty space and putting it into park.

"Alright. Well, then. I think we're supposed to go in." Everyone not currently privy to Pete's intuition just shrugged and went along with it. We got out, stretching as we did so.

I was fairly certain we were somewhere in Idaho. It didn't seem like the best place to start a base for revolution, but then again, it probably wasn't somewhere the Volturi unit would look for us.

Which made it plenty fine in my book.

Speaking of plenty fine, I took a second to admire Jasper's ass as I trailed behind him. I once again thanked whatever powers-that-be I had someone as sexy, hot, smart, and not-perfect-but-perfect-for-me as a mate. Though, I was mostly focused on the sexy and hot part of him right then.

When he turned around, with a knowing, playful smile and a wink, I smirked back unashamedly. So, he deliberately slowed down so I had no choice but to walk past him or stop completely. I felt his heated stare on my ass as I walked, so I added an extra sway-swing-swish to my step. And judging by the soft growl behind me, Jasper like. Oh, yes.

What the hell? When did my mental vocabulary shrink to that of a small child? I blame my ovaries.

_Uh-huh._

I see you're feeling relaxed enough to go back to being a snarky annoyance.

_Ain't it just great?_

Yep. Grrrreaaaat.

_Hey, I'm just trying to take both our minds-well, I guess just all of your mind-off of things. I could just go back to pacing._

Actually, that would be great.

_Humph. Fine. Be that way._

By then, we were at the superstore, stepping through the automatic doors and grabbing a few carts. We might not know why were supposed to be there, but we needed supplies and might as well kill two birds.

We made sure to buy cheaper stuff. Sure, it was bad for us and tasted like preservatives, but we weren't going to be technically alive long enough to suffer the ill effects on our health.

Which reminded me. I couldn't really remember if it would be necessary, because my earlier lives were hazy and the human portions of those even foggier. But I grabbed a bunch of on-sale at-home waxing supplies, just to be safe. Rose and Alice could thank me later. They'd hate spending an eternity with stubble.

"What else do you need, darlin'?" Jasper came up behind me, putting his hands on my hips. The heat coming from the point of contact made me all tingly inside. Stupid hormones.

"An intense make-out session?" I asked. He chuckled as he spun me around to face him.

"Well, I can do that." We then spent a few minutes gettin' our PDA on. His hand came up to cup my jaw and cheek, gently holding me in place as he sensually slid his tongue across my lips, asking permission.

Needless to say, my thoughts pretty much flew out of my head at that point. My hands suddenly couldn't get enough of him and my legs hitched themselves on his hips as he backed me up to the shelves. His hair was soft to my fingers as I grasped at it, making his grip tighten slightly on my thighs.

We probably would've ended up fucking right there in the aisle if Carlisle hadn't awkwardly cleared his throat (unnecessarily) to remind us of their presence.

My mind still kind of dazed, I cleared my own throat as we broke apart and fixed our clothes. Jasper's hair was a little messed up from where I'd grabbed it, and mine was somewhat tangled. My lips felt bruised from his kiss and I was slightly panting. I snuck a peek at Jasper's not-so-subtle bulge, giggling internally. Then again, my panties were notably ruined, so we were kind of in the same boat. How Rose and Alice always managed to come out of a make-out session looking just as glamorous and put-together as when they went in was unknown to me.

Speaking of Rose and Alice. They'd gone off with Em and Edward, and I hadn't seen them since. I stepped out into the big aisle to try and look for them. Not being able to account for everyone made me nervous. That feeling quickly changed to amusement, though, when I saw them.

They were riding up and down the perpendicular aisle in two of the carts, running then jumping onto the back of the speeding metal cages. And howling like idiots.

It was good to see Edward letting loose, though. That then made me suspicious. I wouldn't call him uptight, but he was usually very…reserved. Did Emmett get him drunk somehow?

Wait. No…I looked behind me. Jasper was doing a little sneaky smile that then looked mildly guilty when he saw me watching. Of course, Jasper being Jasper didn't stay ashamed very long. The smile blew into a full-blown grin and I narrowed my eyes at him playfully.

Who needs to get drunk with actual alcohol when you can get all the lowered inhibitions and other emotions that come with intoxication from the friendly neighborhood empath?

"Jasper Whitlock, did you emotionally drug him?" I placed my hands on my hips and stared him down. He started toeing the linoleum floor like a naughty schoolboy, an adorable habit of his that made me have to fight to keep my serious face on. But when he ducked his head, folded his hands, and looked up at me with a mischievous smirk, I was done for. I couldn't even pretend to be upset with him, and he knew it. He just nodded in answer to my question and shot me a wink, feeling my resolve dissipate. I played along with a sigh and a roll of my eyes, moving towards him.

He abandoned his charade and stood straight, welcoming me under his arm.

"Drugging people is wrong, you know." I gave one last attempt at admonishing him, but he just turned his smirk on me and ducked his head low to drawl softly in my ear.

"Well, ma'm, thanks to you, I've learned my lesson. It's a good thing, too, because I think you've just saved me from a life lived in vain, beautiful." I shivered from the pleasant feeling of his hot breath on me, but made sure to contain myself. I was relatively successful.

"What would you do without me?" I teased him.

He paused for a second, looking at me with an oddly serious face. The moment suddenly swerved from light and playful to significant in the kind of way where you knew it was important but couldn't exactly explain why. It was profound in a way I didn't even try to put thoughts to. The contrast between happy, playful, scheming Jasper and this suddenly somber Jasper was striking.

Walking towards me, he took my hands and held them gently to his heart. "I don't know," he whispered softly, his eyes almost sparkling in the moonlight.

I swallowed, drowning in his eyes. We leaned closer simultaneously until our foreheads were touching, and only when I could no longer make him out because of the proximity and would have gone cross-eyed permanently if I tried, did I close my eyes. The sudden rush of slightly distorted color and sound told me I'd fallen once again into a memory. Though, this time I knew it for what it was. It was less of a vivid, Technicolor dream, and more of a slightly hazy experience I'd forgotten about for a while.

"_We have to do this. You know it, I know it, Petey-pie and Char-baby know it. We've let them be for long enough as it is," I insisted, waving my arms about for emphasis. "We can't let them be forever. I'm surprised that they haven't figured out that Maria's dead yet. Or that you got out. You know the second they do it'll be a complete massacre. Besides, we've had enough time to get most of our shit together."_

_He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "I know, I know. It has to be done. I don't like leavin' loose ends, either. We have to go and end the other camps for good."_

"_So? Why are you trying so hard to delay the inevitable?" He was tugging at the strands of hair fisted in his fingers now, looking down and around but not meeting my eyes._

"_I…" he looked oddly vulnerable, then. It was a shock to my system if only because he was usually such a collected and confidence-filled person. To see him so open was enough to mollify me. Mostly. I could see the black creeping in at the very corners of the whites of his eyes that told me the Major was close. Probably sensing the weakness that left him open to potential attack. I knew it wasn't that he was wary of me, because we were mates, but rather of the possible emotional response I could have._

"_What's wrong, Jasper?" I asked, my voice softer and more comforting._

_He met my gaze for a few moments before looking down at the floor, suddenly finding the wood grain very interesting. His arm dropped back down to his side, and he sighed._

"_Look…I was in the Wars for a long time. For all of my second life until we left it was all I knew. It's hard to shake old habits, I guess. I know exactly what all could go wrong there, and I know what could happen if we fail. I'm confident in our abilities and I trust ya, but I can't help but feel…protective. I don't want you, any of ya, to have to be exposed to any of that more than what's been done already. I mean, I'm technically coven leader and that means ya'll's physical, mental, and emotional well-bein' is my responsibility. I have to make that a top priority, no, _the_ top priority. And especially so, since you're my mate. Just thinkin' about the what-ifs drives me crazy, ya know? If I lost you…any of you…if Pete or Char had to deal with the loss of their mate, you had to deal with the loss of one then eventually both of them, or I were to die and ya'll would no longer have the certain protection that comes with the infamous 'Major' bein' apart of this coven…and I can't even comprehend the devastation that would happen if you were to be lost…no. It's hard for me to risk all of ya."_

_After his little rant/explanation, he stood stock-still in front of me. The three feet between us soon felt like too much. His stance was ready and militaristic yet casual enough to not give away any hints to a possible opponent, as always, but the slightest hunch inwards told me he was…well, nervous isn't the right word. He'd opened up, shown vulnerability, and that invited attack. If I knew that from only almost a year in the Wars, then it was sure to be drilled into his core. The air of invulnerability he usually gave off had forced most of the more controlled newborns to think twice before attacking. And even those that did were slightly hesitant._

_I reached out and placed a hand on his bicep. The slightly tensed muscle relaxed under my touch. He looked at me, head canted up and sideways so that he was looking at me from under his hair. I knew he didn't like feeling so 'weak'. He searched my face for something and I was sure he found nothing but understanding. Because really, I understood. I hadn't really considered the hang-ups he could have about the safety of his coven members as coven leader._

_Sure, we usually consulted amongst ourselves before making a large or even smallish-medium-sized decision (we'd even had to debate over finding a color we all liked to paint the living room), but when it came down to it he was the natural choice for leader. First of all, he was a damn intimidatin' motherfucker when he wanted to be. He just gave off this aura that told you not to fuck with him or his. It was as if his very presence screamed 'alpha male' and domination. And besides all that, we knew he would not only be logical and pragmatic, but also think of what was best for each of us. Or, in the words of Peter, 'Come on, dude, there's no one I'd rather follow into battle. Besides, you know none o' the rest of us are all leader-y and bullshit like that.'_

"_Jas, baby, I know. But we gotta do this. And you know we're gonna come out on top, 'cause that's what we do. And, just in case you haven't noticed; you, me, Pete, and Char? We kinda kick ass. There won't be any of that losin' anyone shit, ya hear me?" I stared earnestly into his eyes, wishing I could find the right words to magically sooth all his doubts away._

_I must've done something right, because he smiled at me, though not quite as brightly as usual, and nodded._

"_Yes, ma'm."_

I shook my head a little, drawing myself out of the flashback. Only to have another, of course.

_I had to do this. Had to protect my family, my mate, and our shared destiny. After all, we had to end this life to begin again…anew…hopefully finally recognize our fate. I hated that I had to put Jasper through this, but it had to happen. I had to give myself up, willingly succumb to death._

_I took a moment to sob quietly, mourning the loss and pain I'd have to put us through to get there. Then I straightened myself out, blinked back the venom stinging in my eyes, and kept on running._

_When I got there, I was met by the cloaked and hooded figures that would kill me. I raised my chin high and glared at them, staring into eyes I couldn't see but knew were there. My gaze spoke volumes. It said, 'you're only doing this because I want you to, you're an means to an end and god help me you might be winning this time but we will end all of you soon, just wait and see.'_

"_Let's do this," I said quietly. I was steel, strong and unwavering. Or at least I was on the outside. On the inside, my soul, my very being, was crying out for my mate. _Jasper_, it yearned, _Jasper_. Every particle and atom in my body was pulling me away, towards my love, but I rooted my feet in the ground, there in the middle of the desolate building where I would die._

_They lit a fire. I was numb inside, except for the longing. And a sad kind of determination that kept Loki and Skydd, fighting for control, pushed to the back of my mind._

"_Kneel." The voice that spoke was a hiss, sneer, and growl all in one. I scoffed, but did as I was told. I didn't like it, my instincts rebelling at the very notion of submitting myself to danger. To anyone but my mate._

"_Get on with it already." My voice was foreign even to my own ears. I sounded…dead. Even though I wasn't._

_Yet._

_I closed my eyes, centering myself. I didn't think I'd ever die without a fight, but since I was, I wanted to die relatively at peace. I concentrated on all the memories that made me feel content, peaceful, and happy. Most of them featured Jasper, Peter, or Char._

_The ones that really stood out where the times spent with my mate, of course. My mate…_

_I felt him as soon as he stepped inside._

_The pull had been getting duller, but I'd been concentrating on other things. I thought it'd been a trick of the mind._

_All that I was called out to him. I looked into his eyes for the last time, hoping he'd understand. I knew there was almost completely no chance that he'd be able to live on without me, just as I would follow him into the flames. But I could hope. _

_I threw my shield around him, keeping him from saving me from myself. It was killing me inside, eating me up from within. The look he gave me shattered my heart._

_I wanted to cry out to him but stopped myself. I hoped he'd understand. That he wouldn't do anything stupid._

_But even as I thought the words, I knew they were hopeless._

_My killer approached. I fought down Loki and Skydd with all my might. Shoved my shield out of me so I could be burned. I felt my alters peeking through my eyes, still fighting to get to the surface. They were struggling to get through me, to get to Jasper's side where I belonged. I closed my eyes to shove them back._

_Then there was pain. Pain when my head was separated from my body. Pain when my body was then burnt. I could still feel every cell of my charring flesh. It was harder, then, to keep Loki, Skydd, and my shield down. Mostly because I could tell how much grief Jasper was already in._

_I felt my head get tossed up in the air. I left bony vampire hands, headed towards hot-hot-hot flames._

_I felt venom pool in my eyes. Tears that could never fall._

_I felt the burning flames consume me. Eat away at me. _

_The last thing I heard was my mate's great roar._

_The last thing I thought was, _Jasper.

By the time I came out of it for good, there were tears in my eyes. I looked at Jasper, who was a bit dazed and confused. But…he also looked…heartbroken. Grieved. When his eyes met mine, both sets just out of flashback, there was overwhelming relief shining from them.

He crushed me to his chest, desperation leaking out of every pore. He clung to me the way a drowning man clings to a life preserver.

**JPOV**

Her words. They pulled me back into the past. I was suddenly in the midst of a flashback, the world fading back to what exactly I would be without her.

I didn't want to relive it. Once was far too many times as far as I was concerned. But all the same, I was in my most painful memory from my past life.

Her death.

_"Hey, I have to go out for a sec, okay?" I turned around to see my beautiful mate, grinning at me from the door. I smiled back, but I was hesitant and concerned._

_"But it's dangerous out there, baby. Are you sure you have to head out now?" I knew not to try to restrict her freedoms. I also knew that shed usually be more likely to listen to me if I was asking instead of demanding, anyways. She was a smart woman who could take care of herself, but she was my mate and that meant I wanted to always make sure she was safe. And with the looming threat over our heads, we should all really stay together._

_She gave me a sad smile in return. We both didn't like being apart. Especially not for very long. "Yes. You know I wouldn't even think about it if I didn't have to."_

_I sighed. I didn't want to offend her or make her feel smothered by asking if I could go with or instead. But I was highly reluctant to see her out alone. I briefly considered preventing her from going but immediately dismissed it. I hated being on her bad side and nothing pissed her off more than that kind of behavior. That didn't mean I was any kind of okay about her exposing herself to threats, but she would remind me that it was her decision. Which it was. She sensed my worry and came over, sitting herself on my lap._

_"Hey. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it. I love you, babe. Remember that, no matter what, okay? And don't do anything I wouldn't approve of while I'm gone, will you? Don't be stupid. I love you and I don't want to see you destroy yourself. While I'm out, I mean." Why could I sense deep sorrow, regret and a host of other emotions, but also strong determination? It seemed way more than needed for just a simple trip to town..._

_But before I could find a way to ask her about it, she was out the door with one last lingering kiss._

_I sat there, worrying about what she was doing. I was weighing the pros and cons of going after her when it could be just a quick trip out like she said or something more dangerous when I felt the worst tug on our bond. This was stronger than the usual discomfort of separation. And it was getting worse all the while. A sudden increase in the pain and I was halfway to town without even realizing it. I heard Pete and Char on my heels, probably sensing something was wrong._

_"Hey, Major!" Peter called over the wind. "What's up?" Which was his way of asking what was wrong._

_By now the pain was strong and consuming. I was focusing on it, because it meant my Izzy was in danger. It wasn't excruciating, so I knew she wasn't yet in mortal peril. But it was close. I pushed myself faster, running at top speed and not caring that I was speeding past humans. They'd see a blur, if anything, and assume they were seeing things._

_The pain was still intensifying, and I kept making myself to faster and faster, more so than I'd ever gone before. I heard Pete whistle behind me, and mutter something about how Iz must be in trouble, then curse in the wind._

_I was drawing near where I felt her to be, which was apparently in a rusty warehouse. The unease grew in my gut. This was far from the direction of town. Few humans were present within a large radius. Did she really come here? It would have had to be of her own will, since I hadn't felt pain through the bond before._

_And she would have had to be running, too, considering the rate at which I had felt her distance grow. Why would she say she was going to town and then come here?_

_I burst right through the locked metal doors, leaving behind a gaping hole. I saw the scene in front of me unfold as if in slow motion. Izzy was kneeling in the middle of the floor, still and facing me next to a fire. The look on her face telling me she was working hard to keep Skydd or Loki from making an appearance. Her eyes were screwed shut but they snapped open when she sensed me near. They looked resigned, and pleaded with me to understand. My sneaking suspicion, one I didn't want to confirm for fear I would be right, was confirmed. Cloaked figures were standing all around her, blocking the exits. One in particular, a thinner one with their back facing me, was standing nearer to her than the others. They extended ghostly pale hands, and wrapped around the neck of my mate._

_She didn't fight, although it looked like it took all her determination not to. My vision zeroed in. Less than a vampire second had passed, but I found myself moving towards her, the colors around me distorting. I slammed into an invisible barrier, a familiar shimmering coming from the point of impact. My eyes grew wide. It was her shield. She was keeping me back. I pleaded with her through my eyes to lower it as I tried to find a way through or around her gift. Even as I slammed and pounded against it, I knew it was hopeless. My mate was strong, after all. Major and the God of War rose up in me as I saw Loki and Skydd try and come out, only to be held back by her willpower. She closed her eyes, looking resigned and angelic. I heard a high keening, tearing sound, the sounds I thought I'd left behind. She let out a cross between a sigh and a sob, the sound mingling with the others to create a horrible twisting sensation in my gut. To me, it was long and lonely and desperate, the sound I would associate with the greatest loss from then on._

_Then the slow motion stopped, reality slamming into it with unrelenting force. Her body was tossed into the fire before I could have any hope of stopping it. My mind went numb, not able to comprehend what had just happened. My body was taken over by the monster I kept behind a wall in a dark section of my brain. I felt my eyes go black, all logic leave my mind, leaving nothing but pain, hunger, and rage behind._

_A great roar filled the room. It started off full of pain and disbelief then morphed into feral rage. Peter and Char, just starting to enter behind me, immediately turned tail and sprinted away. The small part of me still sane held onto the majority of me for as long as it could, hoping that they got as far away as they could. But it couldn't reign in that much raw emotion for long, and all of it was soon unleashed, flooding who knows how far with my loss. Whatever humans or animals unlucky enough to be near couldn't handle the sheer devastation, and probably either passed out or died. The monster that was now almost all of me didn't care, snarling at those who had dared to take our mate. The sane part of me, still barely hanging in there, lost grip, shoved into a dark pit of pure grief as my own feral sounds echoed in the din._

_My world was gone, so why was I still here?_

_I came back to in a dingy apartment, bare and dank. The crippling feeling of pain and loss hit me full on, making me curl up in the fetal position and let out a gasping whimper. I felt like I was falling apart, going through the change a million times over. Maria's torture, the toll others' emotions took on me, it was like all the pain I'd ever felt came crashing down all at once. The bond was strangling me now, forcing the unneeded breath from my body, and my chest was aching and empty. I tried my best to hold myself together, but I could feel my sanity tearing at the seams._

_All three of me were thrashing inside my body, desperate and in agony. I couldn't think about...my loss without feeling like a human with a semi slamming full force into them, a dozen shards of my gone heart piercing my lungs._

_The particles that made up my body were yearning, straining, searching, pulling me in all directions. Tied irrevocably to a mate that was nowhere. My soul felt like it was flopping uselessly in all directions, crying out for her._

_I didn't know how much time had passed, slipping between personas that were all feeling the same devastation. I roared and screamed and shouted and sobbed, but none of it helped, not even a little. I needed to rejoin her, my perfectly imperfect and beautiful mate. I tore the ragged curtains off the rotting windows and tossed them in a corner, setting them on fire with my old busted-up lighter. I closed my eyes, remembering her smile, her touch, her voice._

_Don't do anything stupid._

_The feelings were too much, I collapsed in the middle of the room and screamed my pain. I was overcome by the very thing that gave me power, the irony not lost on me. _

_Before I could finally go to my Izzy, Peter burst in. The three of me recognized him, staring at me in shock. I was the farthest thing from the put together, controlled, rational brother he knew. My pain was eating me from inside out. My composure was a thing long lost to the past, I was too far gone to care._

_Peter's presence delayed my reunion with the only woman I ever really needed. She was my world, my entire reason for existing, my everything. I tried to center myself as best I could. I was still a mess, but I didn't want Peter to see how bad I truly was. I snapped at him, but I had just enough sense to make sure he knew what he meant to me, both him and Char._

_He didn't want to leave me alone, but I convinced him too. He would only try to stop me, and I didn't want to have to hurt him. I held myself together just enough on pure willpower alone. It was probably the hardest thing I had to do. As soon as he was gone, I turned my attention towards the dancing fire. I closed my eyes, and felt almost as if she was there, calling me to her. I felt oddly calm. My pain was put on hold as I found the inner peace that came with knowing I would see her again soon. It chewed on the edges of my soul, my very being, but I felt numb more than anything._

_Stepping into the fire was easy. The pain was nothing compared to how I felt about losing my mate. As my soul was burning away, so was my flesh, and the flames echoed my loss, inside and out._

_I relished for a minute in the knowledge that it would all be over soon, and listened to the sound of fire taking me away._

_I closed my eyes and took one last breath._

_And then there was nothing. No more pain._

_It was beautiful._

When I came out of it, I felt shaken. Shattered, even. The first thing I registered was Izzy. She was there. She was there. She was there.

My mind was buzzing. All three of me were roaring and rejoicing the fact that she was safe. Safe. In our arms. We were mourning her death while celebrating the fact that she wasn't.

_Ours. Safe. Yes. Protect our mate. Alive. Alive. Alive._

I wasn't thinking rationally. I wasn't sure in that moment if I was even still me.

I _was_ sure I'd never let anyone take away my mate again.

**Izzy POV**

We were cuddled close, each lost in our own thoughts, when the moment was broken by Em's booming voice shouting for us. With a soft kiss Jasper and I left our little bubble behind to deal with whatever the hell else was happening.

Esme smiled at me softly as we made our way to the back of the store. I may have squirmed a little, seeing her knowing look through my peripheral vision. She and Carlisle had wandered off to the next aisle over in an attempt to give us whatever privacy we could have during our 'moment', which was kind of pointless considering they could've still eavesdropped from the other end of the place. I appreciated the gesture, but the very maternal expression she was sending my way had me antsy.

She was a very maternal person by nature, something I knew. But I had never really had the best mothers, so it was just…disconcerting to have someone look at me like that. Different. I couldn't decide if it was different in a good way or a bad way.

Meh.

When we rounded the aisle to see what the fuss was about, I stopped dead in my tracks. Jasper stopped with me and raised an eyebrow. Em, the big lug, had somehow managed to get stuck in an overturned shopping cart. His arms were sticking out through the holes meant for children's legs and his body was at an awkard angle. Rose was sitting on top of the metal trap flipping through a magazine, and Edward was off to the side, chatting nonchalantly with a middle-aged stranger. All while Alice was idly squeezing oranges, which was odd enough as the produce section was all the way at the front of the store, and humming some catchy song.

I wasn't sure what I should ask about first. I decided on Edward and the stranger, because of the animated body language and gesturing. It didn't look like an argument, exactly, it looked more like…bargaining.

"So…what's up?" I asked, coming up behind Edward, Jasper at my side.

He started, turning to look at us, then offering a smile.

"I think we finally found a place, Miranda."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

My first thought was, _Miranda?_ Of course, I realized what he was talking about. By place, he meant a base, and he probably had made up some kind of cover story that included aliases. The stranger was most likely the seller, and this was also probably why we were in a Walmart in the first place. But, seriously, couldn't he come up with a better name for me than Miranda?

"Oh, really?" I asked, keeping my tone pleasant but neutral. I made sure to keep all traces of an accent out of my voice. I didn't know the details of our cover story so I had to keep from saying or implying anything too specific.

"Yes. It's in eastern Wyoming, near the border of Nebraska's panhandle. I told her that it would be perfect for us, since it's so private. There's at most one person per square mile there, you know. Without going up to Alaska, there's really no better place. And, well…we really need our privacy."

"Yes. You're right, that sounds perfect!" I was glad it _wasn't_ in Alaska. It was a good place, sure, but it would be the most obvious place and probably where the Volturi team would look first.

Plus, spending my last human hours somewhere practically guaranteed to be freezing cold? No thank you.

At least Wyoming/Nebraska had a chance of being nice.

I listened in on the conversation. Apparently, nobody legally lived there. As far as the government knew, it was just unclaimed land, because the lady (named Jean) had a particularly paranoid and forgetful great- something-grandfather. But her parents and husband had passed away there. She'd kept going because she wanted to do the best for her children, but they were killed there by a burglar who'd gotten very lost, and very desperate. She needed to get away from the memories, so she was willing to sell it cheap. In fact, she practically gave it to us.

"I just want nothing to do with it anymore. In fact, I was going to just abandoned it, because I didn't think anybody'd want it." She wavered, her eyes suspiciously shiny.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Anyway, why don't you all take it off my hands? It's just sitting there, abandoned, and frankly I wouldn't feel right taking money for it."

Edward looked concerned for her. I felt it too, an ache in the middle of my gut that felt for her. "At least let us give you _some_ money. We wouldn't feel right not giving you any, either."

She laughed, though she was still close to tears. It sounded just a little too harsh. Like that of someone who's just been through too much. "Alright, alright. I guess one of us has to back down, huh? Tell you what, I do need enough gas money to make it on out into the sunset, after all. So why don't we say…three hundred bucks? Besides, you kids look like you need what you have."

He laughed it off, albeit very obviously nervous. "Hahaha. Yeah…"

She gave him a knowing glance, and when she smiled this time it was genuine. "Don't worry. I'm not going to ask any questions. As long as you haven't killed anyone in cold blood, of course."

"No, ma'm, we assure you that's not it at all." Jasper chimed in, from behind me. He let his accent show, and it visibly appeased the woman. I knew that it had more to do with the fact that he was comfortable enough in his statement to give her something she could identify him with then the actual drawl itself. Though, the comforting lilt of his words did wonders to soothe _me._

"Anyway, here's your money, ma'm." I decided to let a little accent coat my words too, as I dug around in my pockets and Jasper's. That wasn't quite enough, since we'd decided to split up the money for everyone to carry equally in order to fit it all on our persons. In case of emergency. So, I went over to Rose, who offered up some money without looking up from the gossip mag.

Handing it to the lady, I noticed her eyes were watering and awkwardly pretended not to see.

"Thank you kids so much. You don't know how much you've done for me. I just hope that house will have better memories for you then it does for me." She smiled again, small and true, and handed Edward a piece of paper with the address written on it, before heading off and waving goodbye at us over her shoulder.

"Well, she was nice." Edward looked after her for a moment, before heading over to Alice. She happily flung her arms around him in celebration, having heard the entire conversation (probably for the second time) and dropped her oranges in the shopping cart.

"So, Rose…"Jasper started, sidling on up near to her and Emmett, "What'd Em do to get put in time-out?"

Emmett scowled and shifted uncomfortably, contorted in a way that seemed almost painful.

"Oh, he was about to pull a Walmart prank." She said it nonchalantly, closing her magazine with a sigh and putting it aside, seemingly bored with the latest celebrity rumors.

"A Walmart prank?" I wasn't exactly in the loop.

"You know, putting condoms in some lady's cart, throwing objects down aisles, dueling with pool noodles, pretending like you thought a dressing room was a toilet…that kind of thing."

I had no comment except, "O…kay then."

"Hey, Alice? Why were ya molestin' them oranges?" Jasper asked, with a playful spark in his eye.

"What? No! I wasn't molesting them! I was just testing their firmness. You know, to make sure they're nice?" She looked at said oranges with an appalled expression, then back up.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" Emmett yelled from under the shopping cart. The silly, overemphasized English accent he spoke in made Edward shoot him an amused glance. Having been from England in his last life, he was the most familiar with actual English accents. Must've sounded way off to him.

"Yeah, sure, because I _clearly_ have a weird fruit fetish and am not ashamed to express it in such a public setting." Alice snarked with narrowed eyes.

"They say acceptance is best!" Emmett crooned, before shifting again in a wasted effort to find a position that wasn't uncomfortable.

"Emmett!" Rose said in a warning tone. "If you harass Alice one more time, I'm keeping you under there for another five minutes!" She looked up at me with a wink, before reaching over and picking up another magazine from the pile spread out on the floor.

Emmett opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it, snapping his jaw shut. I think I saw honest-to-God actual apprehension in his eyes.

"Well, then. I say we get on the road, if you children are all done sassing each other." Carlisle was standing with his arms around Esme, both of them looking on at us bemusedly.

"She started it!" Emmett burst out, unable to control himself. I saw him trying to point at Alice, though it was in vain since he'd probably lost feeling in his arms.

I just rolled my eyes at the commotion going on behind me, laughing a little when I heard Rose scold Emmett for flipping her off the cart too fast and smack him in the head, and stuck my hand in Jasper's back pocket. His arm came to rest around my shoulders, and I got our cart and began following Dr. and Mrs. Fangtastic.

"I think we really missed somethin' weird goin' on here, Pete." Char's southern drawl came floating from her petite form standing at an aisle junction. She was looking behind us at Rose, Em, Alice, and Edward, who, by the sounds of it, were still trying to sort out their mess.

"I think you're right, sugar. Though, I do know we now have a place, courtesy of a nice lady lookin' to move on in her life, ain't that right, Maj?" Pete swung his mischievous glance (which was pretty much his default look) over to Jas and I. He was a vampire, so he couldn't have _not_ been aware of the nickname from our past life that slipped through. 'Maj' was obviously short for Major and is what Pete called Jas last time around ever since we explained the double-alters thing to him. He said something about it not feeling quite right to call him Jas, since for his Newbie and 'younger' years as a vampire he'd only known Jas as Major. Oddly enough, I could tell it felt right and comfortable to Jas. There was no slight stiffening of the muscles, no confusion, no doubt. Weird. I'd noticed that, at least for us, our last life was particularly close to us. As if we were only living a continuation of it, not an entirely different one. Sometimes I even forgot I wasn't really that old. And when Carlisle had referred to us as 'children', I hadn't missed the similar pang of just-not-right in Jasper's eyes and posture, since after all, he'd been almost as old as Carlisle in our past life (it could even be argued he was older, at least in that way that going through hell made you). Huh. I'd have to bring that up soon.

Pete twitched, just a little bit. Just enough so that I knew that he _knew_ something he wasn't telling us. I glared at the side of his head, as if I could see the information through his thick skull. Why wouldn't he say it? Was it bad? A potential threat we needed to worry about on top of the giant steaming heap we already had on our plate?

Jasper gave me an odd look at my rapidly shifting emotions. I tried to display a smile, but judging by the lingering concern in his eyes it came out a little too tight and not convincing enough. Plus, you know, he could feel that my emotions weren't matching up to whatever expression I'd tried to lay on him. But he conceded that it was not the time or the place, so we just continued as if the short exchange didn't happen. Pete did too.

"Wait, what? We gotta place? Tell me my mate ain't lyin' his fool head off, Baby Doll." I managed to summon a genuine smile at Char's familiar and comforting pet name for me. In my last life, she'd been the only female I'd ever really bonded with. I hadn't been really able to remember my human life, other than it had been lonely and sad, and after the Change, well, let's just say I wasn't really all that concerned with being social. Most of my experiences with other females ended with me tearing them apart, so yeah. Then, when we'd gotten out, she'd been real welcoming and nice to me, since she knew what it was like down there. She hadn't had any female companionship either, and she'd kind of been co-chief-mentor on the ways of the vampire, along with Jasper. She'd given me great female perspective and advice on things that guys just can't get. She'd had to figure it out all on her own and she didn't want me to have to go through the freak-outs that came with mating instincts and all that shit.

"Nah, it's true, Char. That nice lady did indeed sell us a place in Wyomin', near the Nebraska border. Real good deal, too. She wanted to give it away, 'cause there weren't a lotta good memories for her. Sad story she's got, but she seemed real strong." I smiled. The lady really did seem like the type to keep on goin', even when she was goin' through hell.

"Well, now I'm all excited!" She beamed, clapping her hands together in a very 'Alice' move.

"Then let's get back on the road!" Rose declared, coming up behind us. Emmett was pushing one cart and Edward had the other one. Alice was busy trying to keep a handheld basket out of a chivalrous Edward's hands, while still humming that song I didn't recognize. I didn't know why they needed all that stuff, but I wasn't going to question it.

"You heard her, let's get a'goin!" Char came over and hooked arms with me and Rose, pulling us towards the registers.

Then of course, that asshole-ish douchebag had to try and hit on Alice.

* * *

**Alice POV**

I danced after my sisters, humming the latest catchy tune. Edward was walking a little ways behind me with the guys and Esme, but I could feel his watchful eyes on me. Even though I was facing away from him, I knew he was smiling at me.

I was distracted for a moment by a scene from the near future. We were standing alone somewhere, though our 'family' could be seen scattered in the background. My arms were around his neck as I stood on tiptoe and he bent his wonderfully lanky body down to meet me halfway. It was a sweet kiss, and I knew he'd decided it on purpose.

_Can't wait, Eddie._

I was the only one he let call him that, and it had become somewhat of my own special way to say that I loved him.

I glanced behind me to see him beaming at me, and turned back with a giggle.

I wasn't looking where I was going, and as a result I bumped into a boy about my physical age, the vision briefly flashing in front of my eyes before it happened. I took a moment to sigh at my power. It couldn't warn me, since it wasn't the direct result of a decision and I wasn't specifically looking for it. Now my cute top was wrinkled and I had to straighten it out.

"Oh!" I gasped. "I'm so sorry about that!"

He turned to me and smiled. He was a decent-looking guy, with brown-black hair and blue eyes, but he was wearing too much hair gel and cologne. Or was that deodorant? Probably not, I judged, looking at the sweat stains under his arms. Either way, it made my nose wrinkled slightly from the overpowering scent. And his grin felt a little off to me. It was more like a domineering sneer and it really didn't seem very attractive, though it seemed like that was what he was going for.

"It's cool." He replied, obviously trying to sound more 'macho'. I wanted to roll my eyes like Rose or Izzy would've done, or crack some slightly crass joke like Char would've, but I reminded myself to be polite. I could feel Edward's concerned eyes on my back, so I tried to end the uncomfortable encounter as soon as possible.

It didn't help that he was unashamedly giving me a once-over. His eyes roamed down my down my body and back up again, though they lingered an awkward amount of time on my breasts. I'd gained a little more than a cup size when we'd gotten our 'upgrades', as Izzy called them, but that didn't mean I wanted them eyed by some creep. I cleared my throat and crossed my arms over my chest. I felt like he'd somehow molested me with his eyes.

They returned to my face again, but they had a slimier quality now and I really wanted to slap him. But I wasn't as direct as my sisters, so I bit my tongue and kept my hands from forming into fists.

"Excuse me," I said, as pleasantly as I could.

"Oh, no, no, no. Where do you think you're goin', you beautiful nymph? Have I told you that I think your eyes are the most gorgeous and interesting things I've ever seen?" He was trying a little too hard to be smooth. He was such a…a…well, most of our group would probably call him an asshole or a douchebag, but I settled for Mr. Slimeball instead. Did he really think he was charming me? Or that he could even have a chance in hell when I had my gorgeous boyfriend and mate in Edward? I scoffed audibly and rolled my eyes, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Well, thank you. But I really should meet up with my friends." I pointed behind him, to where Izzy, Rose, and Char were standing at the ready and shooting daggers at him with their eyes.

The way they were visibly restraining themselves seemed to go right over his head as he eye-fucked them, too. As if on cue, all three of their faces transformed into indignant scowls. I heard three sets of light growling come from behind me, though it was too low for Mr. Slimeball to hear.

He turned to face me again, popping up his collar in a lame and outdated attempt to be cool. "Well, whatdoya say you _come_ with me instead? They can _come_ too."

It didn't go unnoticed how he emphasized the word 'come'.

"No, I _really_ would rather not."

"Come on, gimme your number, at least, will ya?"

"No."

"Come on."

"I really don't want to. No thanks."

"Just gimme your number. Come on, pretty-eyes."

"I said no."

I tried to move past him, but he blocked my path. I considered putting some of the moves Izzy and Jasper had taught me to good use, but there were too many witnesses and I didn't want unnecessary questions about how a petite girl like me knew how to put a jock flat on his back before he could even try to do anything about it. So I tried the other side, but yet again, he stepped in front of me.

Then he grabbed my upper arm, with a hard tight grip that made me wince and tense. That was going to leave a mark.

He got up very close to my face and when he spoke, spit flew out and hit my face. Yeah, it was pretty disgusting.

"I _said_, gimme your number."

I was about to slap him when I felt my back start tingling, signaling that Edward was nearby. I turned to see him looking angrier than I'd ever seen him. Well, in this life. Even if you considered all our lives, though, it had been a while. He was usually such a relaxed and almost innocent sweetheart. I loved that he seemed unchanged by what all he'd gone through. But I had to admit, he looked pretty hot with those intense eyes, narrowed in fury, and that clenched jaw. His fists were balled up at his sides, making the tendons in his forearms stand out, and his full lips were set in a hard line.

Now, my boy was usually gorgeous, but right then? He was smoking hot.

He forcibly shoved Mr. Slimeball out of my way, stepping in protectively in front of me.

"What's your problem, man?" Mr. Slimeball turned his attention on Edward, reaching a hand out to shove my mate's shoulder.

"My _problem_ is you not leaving _my_ _girlfriend_ alone, even after she said no. Quite clearly, too. You should learn to treat the ladies with a little more respect." he snarled. I felt my insides give a little flutter at Eddie's voice, low and dangerous. I felt like I was going to swoon.

"Your girlfriend, huh? So what? She was gonna come around eventually. And I'll treat the bitches any way I want to. And what's it to you, anyways? Lookin' for a fight?" Edward practically snarled, but Mr. Slimeball didn't seem to be smart enough to understand the danger. He had the nerve to turn and wink at me. Eddie took a step to his right of me to block his view. He signaled for me to move back a little, so I did, though my worry for him wouldn't let me go more than a few paces.

"She'll never be interested in _you_, trust me. And I'm _not_ looking for a fight, but you should start acting like a man and treat women right." Mr. Slimeball didn't like that.

"Just like I thought. Can't put your money where your mouth is, but you keep tryin' to tell me to how to do my business? Bet you've never thrown a punch in your life." He pulled back an oversized fist, and I had a brief moment of protective alarm as he swung. But Jasper and Izzy had trained Edward well, as he easily dodged the roundhouse. He stayed calm and grabbed the offending arm as it came by, making his attacker stumble forward a little under his own momentum. Mr. Slimeball then tripped over Edward's well-placed foot, and went down hard.

I could hear Em crowing loudly in the background.

"Way to show 'im, Ed! That was so beautiful it was practically poetry! I can hear it now! Roses are red, violets are blue, she's for me, not for you! If you try and take my place, I'll take my fist and smash your face!"

Edward leaned over him, watching him cough and try to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him. "You were saying?" he sneered, causing the boy to involuntarily flinch.

Edward then came back over and wrapped an arm around me, showcasing his claim on me for the rest of the world, and together we walked towards the spot where my sisters were waiting, practically grinning ear-from-ear.

Emmett came up behind us and clapped Edward on the back with a whistle, and I saw Izzy and Jasper giving him proud smiles out of the corner of my eye. The rest of us just tried to hide our grins half-heartedly as Eddie flushed slightly under the attention and nonverbal praise. We continued walking like nothing had happened, though I'd bet my best pair of shoes everyone was mentally patting him on the back.

As we left, none of us cared enough to look behind us Mr. Slimeball, but I could hear him wheezing gently, still lying flat on his back.

* * *

**Izzy POV**

I proudly looked on as Edward all but blushed at all the attention. I taught that boy well. Whoa. Did my inner voice just go all wise-grandfather-master on me? Yes, yes it did.

I shook it off.

I lowered my shield and sent him my thoughts. _Good goin', I bet that fucker ain't gonna put his hands on a woman again. He seemed like the kinda asshole that deserves to get his ass handed to him on a regular basis._

He shook his head at my language in a 'classic Edward' kind of way, but sent me a little smile. I flashed him my pearly whites, then turned around to face front again. Jasper slung his arm around me and I smiled up at him, my hand coming up to play with his fingers. Yes, we'd become one of those couples that walks around with their hands in each others' pockets or some other kind of equally mushy show of affection and closeness. I honestly didn't give a fuck anymore. I liked that we were almost always had physical contact with each other, and besides, the familiar weight of his arm around my shoulder was comforting.

As we approached the checkout lines, Jasper decided to spontaneously spin me around, not giving a fuck about the people all around us, and ravish my lips with his.

When he pulled away, I will admit, I was a little dazed and out of breath for a second there. I ran my hands through my hair absentmindedly, a trait I'd picked up from him apparently, and blinked rapidly. Peter and Em's cat calls were not helping the situation. I cleared my throat, shook my head, reached up and pecked Jas lightly on the lips, and gave Pete and Em the middle finger.

Jas just smirked, resumed our previous position, and went on like nothing happened.

When Em and Pete had finally stopped their joking in the background, I decided to ask about it in a voice for only us to hear.

"Not that I'm complaining, because that was hot as hell, but why the spontaneous make-out session?"

He smirked down at me, then looked back up. "Why? Do I need a reason other than the fact that you're beautiful and I love you?"

I smiled but elbowed him lightly. He didn't even have the decency to pretend it hurt, the fucker.

"Alright, honestly, it's because that guy was eye-fucking you and I didn't like it." I smiled secretly to myself. Knew it. He saw me, however, and narrowed his eyes playfully at me.

I put on my best 'innocent face' and he relented, though he gave me a squeeze to tell me he wasn't fallin' for my shit.

By then, we were by the checkouts. The shortest line was behind an old lady with a cart full of cereal and cat food, and a girl who looked about twenty-eight dressed in too-tight clothing and checking her phone with impractically long and cheetah-print nails. She was wearing one of those 'swaggy' baseball caps with the wide flat lid, and smacking her gum too loudly while wearing sunglasses. Indoors. Unless you have some issue with your eyes or the lights are really _that _blinding, you should not wear sunglasses indoors.

Jasper, Peter, Char, and I all lined up behind her, Jasper and I in front since we had the majority of the cash. (Peter and Char didn't like to pay because usually cashiers would be either 'dazzled' or intimidated by their super-vampiricness). Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Em, Alice, and Edward all decided to find different lines purely because there were too many of us and it was more efficient that way.

And then, because apparently all Walmart patrons about our age are douche and skanky no matter the gender, the girl in front of us had to pause in her texting, carefully lower her sunglasses, and look Jas and Pete up and down. I glared at her. The cavewoman/vampiric/primal part of my mind started hissing _mine, mine, mine, mine. _A check with my peripherals showed Char all but growling. That's probably because her brain had a much bigger cavewoman/vampiric/primal part, and she was an actual vampire. I was willing to force my mind to focus on something else in order to _not _bring about this slut's death, but Char…well, you do _not_ fuck with a vampire's mate. Even if you're a human. Actually, probably _more_ so if you're a human, since most vampires would just break your neck and drain you.

Then again, the whole vampire-thing was also a big factor in why there was such a problem to begin with. When you're transformed to be as good-looking as possible to lure in humans, you tend to get a lot of attention.

I sighed and readjusted my bra. I'd gained a cup sizes or two – all us girls had – and it was digging into my flesh. I'd never really liked bras to begin with, as they were usually at least somewhat uncomfortable. But it's not like I could go without support, so usually I settled for a sportsbra-regular bra hybrid that didn't squish them flat or make me feel like I was suffocating, but also was comfortable enough for me to move about freely. But apparently, it was too small and now I could only wear a push-up bra Rose had bought me that had been somewhat too big before. I couldn't wait until I was either a vampire who didn't have to worry about it, or in possession of a few new bras.

Not that Walmart had been particularly helpful in that area. Walmart bras suck.

Okay, so not the most exciting train of thought, but it was doing its job. I could almost forget that the town ride had tried to put her 'moves' on my man.

Maybe not entirely.

Jasper looked uncomfortable, and surreptitiously pulled me into him. Damn right. He knew who he belonged to.

I saw Pete smile tightly in a strained manner and not-so-subtly hide behind Char. He might act it, but he wasn't actually stupid enough to miss the unwanted attention. Or to miss Char's fury. She was one fiery chick, and that was what made her so…Char.

But she decided to deliberately ignore that and start to puff out her chest and stick her butt out, twirling a lock of burnt-dead bleached-blonde hair (complete with tacky brown roots) and batting her heavily-mascara-coated eyelashes. I winced, feeling temporarily bad for her body. That could not be good for it. Especially the fake-and-bake tan. I shuddered on the inside. Skin cancer just waiting to happen.

Her eyes (which were an admittedly nice blue – clear and normal) flickered from one of our men to the other. She licked her lips deliberately, but in her enthusiasm used too much tongue and ended up looking like a dead hooker. The leopard-print thong clearly visible in the gap between her too-small booty shorts and too-small tank top was not helping. Neither were the tacky eight-inch heels. They looked painful. My feet hurt in sympathy. Undaunted, she smacked on her gum flirtatiously and waved in that supposedly-cutesy way, though the long and garish fingernails made it kind of difficult.

Char was half-turned around, giving her mate 'the look'. The one that said if he kept letting the girl flirt with him and didn't even try to stop it, he'd be in a constant state of blue balls until she forgave him. Peter gulped, even though he didn't have to.

It apparently worked, though, because he hesitantly came out from behind her and slowly approached the skank, as if she could strike at any moment. She seemed pleased and gave Char a victorious and smug look. She reached out a hand to run it over his chest, but he quickly caught it and returned it to her side, letting it go as if he had been burned by her orange spray tan.

"Um, look…" he stared, trying to figure out what to say. She did that eyelash-flutter thing and egged him on. "Just…no. No, okay? No." Her face immediately fell, her mouth dropping open comically. He turned around and went over to Char, then pulled her around the still-stupified skank and left us with the checkout items.

When she finally processed what was happening, she looked infuriated. She screamed through her teeth with frustration and, I swear to god, stamped her foot. Jasper and I just stared at her, dumbstruck. When she realized we were still there, she quickly put on her fake-flirty face and opened her mouth to speak to my mate.

He shut her down right quick by turning and planting a scorching kiss on me. Not that I minded. No siree. When he pulled away, it took a few seconds for me to come out of my daze, and he smirked. I spared a glance at her and saw her take on a look of mad defeat. She curled her hands into fists (that, by the way would have been the cause of a broken hand if she actually used them – seriously, they were really bad fists) and stormed away, abandoning her cart.

I looked at Jas and he just shrugged, pushing our stuff around hers and becoming the next in line. We were checked out in no time and headed out to the parking lot. Emmett and Peter tried to avoid doing work (even though it wouldn't really be much trouble as both didn't tire as easily as regular humans), but Char and Rose put an end to that right quick. Jasper just smirked at them smugly while fitting in things like the Tetris pro I knew him to be. Just to agitate them further and thank Jas, I pulled him down for some sugar. He smiled softly down at me while Emmett shot me a nasty look. He knew I was doing it to rub it in (though that was really just an excuse to kiss my man – I'd always be up for that) and stuck out his tongue at me like the mature man he truly was.

I flipped him off behind Jasper's back, because I could play that game, too.

Emmett looked shocked, though pleasantly so. He always reacted like that for a moment or two, even though by now he really should have known that I'd do that. Oh, well, gotta have some surprises in the gray journey of life, don't we now?

I then realized we were gonna have to spend a hell of a lot of time in the car. About twelve to thirteen hours, to be exact. If we had one of the vampires drive, we could probably make it there without stops, but…while I could hold it for a while, even I had to pee sometimes. And Rose and Alice? I swear, those girls had the bladders of flies. So we'd probably have to crash at a hotel again, somewhere along the way. The last time we stayed at a hotel….we'd become…whatever we currently were. That nagging bit about becoming super-vampires soon popped up on my shoulder, chewing on my hair and making weird monster-noises. Ugh. Okay, so maybe there was some stretching, but it kind of felt like that. Kind of. I don't even know anymore.

So, we piled on into the car. Carlisle was driving, and Esme was in the front seat as usual. This made Pete pout like a baby. Apparently he really wanted to drive. Which Jasper and I knew would surely end in disaster.

It's not that Pete was a _bad_ driver. I mean, as a vampire with superhuman reflexes and responses, he couldn't really be. It was more that he didn't know the limits of a car. His natural need for speed would win out, and he'd drive a car to its death. Or he'd get pulled over by a cop and try to talk his way out of a speeding ticket, which…he wasn't very good at.

That's why whenever he drove, Char always made sure to distract him, somewhat. Or just hit him over the head every time he started goin' too hard. Depended on her mood, really.

"Come _on_, Dr. Fang! Why don't I get 'ta drive?" he whined, flailing his hands about, all limp-wristed.

"Uh, maybe because we actually want to make good time?" I said, not one to let a good opportunity for verbal jousting go by.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he rose to the challenge, as usual. Ah, good old, dependable Pete.

"It means that if you drove, we'd already be a few hundred dollars shorter, an' probably 'bout a few hundred miles back, too."

"That don't even make no sense! We haven't even gone a hundred miles!"

"I know. But that's exactly how bad you'd be." He huffed at this, rolling his eyes like a tweenage girl who had just been told she couldn't go see Justin Bieber because she hadn't done her chores.

"I ain't a bad driver!"

"Really?" He acted outraged, slapping a hand over his still heart and making that weird offended noise that those stereotypical rich ladies do on TV.

"Well….you can't even drive yet, so hah!"

I rolled my eyes. Too easy. "I might not be able to drive, but I'm still a better driver than you are, Pete."

I then leaned in slightly and lowered my voice to a stage whisper. "And I'm a girl."

He cracked up, miming the wiping away of an imaginary tear.

"Oh, Izzy. Man, I've missed ya, Dolly." Yes, he said 'Dolly'. This was apparently because he wanted his own special nickname for me, and thought 'Dolly' was a good play on Char's.

"And I can't say I haven't missed your silly ass, Petey-pie." He gave me a dopey smile. Apparently he'd _really_ liked his Mama's pie when he was human. Yep. Pie. _Of course it's pie._

Emmett was pretending to sob in the corner. "So…so beautifull!" he wailed, flinging his arm dramatically in our direction. Peter grumbled at him to shut up and threw a processed cupcake at him. Emmett caught it and unwrapped it, taking a big eager chunk out and humming in appreciation. Peter flipped him off. Emmett stuck his tongue out, showing all of us his half-chewed food. I gagged. It was not a pretty sight.

"You think we can sit through hours of this shit?" I asked Char, who was kind of face-palming. She looked up and shook her head, giving me a wry smile.

"Well, you encouraged him." I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. I did kind of encourage him, didn't I.

"Yeah, but at least he ain't whinin' 'bout who's driving the car." She gave me a 'true, true' face and sighed, resolutely turning to her mate, who was pulling faces at Emmett. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down, shutting him up by attacking him with her lips.

So then, of course, Emmett got jealous and started mackin' on Rose. That left Alice, Edward, me, and Jasper just awkwardly sitting around. Jasper was squirming slightly, no doubt affected by the intense lust they were generating. I encased him in my shield so he wouldn't have to focus on keeping it from projecting, and he gave me a thankful smile in return. I really wanted to get me some sugar, but I knew we couldn't – not unless we wanted everyone else fucking in the car beside us, and a fifteen-car pile up. There was no way I could hold on to my shield when I was kissing Jasper, and his projection would cause some kind of traffic-stopping orgy.

But that left us even more awkward, just watching as they practically dry-humped in front of us. I almost felt like whistling and twiddling my thumbs.

Then I saw Pete raise his hand from Char's ass and flip me off. That bastard!

This was going to be a long trip.

**AN/: I know, I know, it's been way too long. Well, that's what you get when my psycho teachers discover they only have about a month left to bury us with work. Ah, well. I worked all night to finish this by this weekend, and now I'm off to start on my mountain of homework. Sigh. Wish me luck. Oh, and thanks to the guest reviewer who said they were going to start on Part Two...I'm so glad for the review! Actually, it kicked my ass into gear and reminded me to start on this chapter. Just...wanted to add that in there, since I usually respond to each review and I couldn't, so...better late than never, right? Eh.**


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